Denver high school shooting – live: Student gunman Austin Lyle found dead in woods after shooting faculty

A body has been found in the search for a student accused of shooting two staff members at a high school in Denver, Colorado.

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said on Wednesday night that police located a male body in some woods close to an abandoned red Volvo associated with 17-year-suspect Austin Lyle.

On Thursday morning, the county coroner confirmed that the body was that of Lyle.

A huge manhunt had been under way to track down the teenager after he shot two faculty members at East High School in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday morning.

Denver Police said that the shooting unfolded while Lyle was undergoing a daily search at the school. The teenager was required to be patted down each day due to prior incidents, police said.

After opening fire, Lyle fled the scene.

The two victims – now identified as Eric Sinclair, a dean of culture, and Jerald Mason, coordinator in restorative practice – were rushed to hospital. Mr Sinclair remains in critical condition while Mr Mason was later released after treatment.

Key Points

• Body found in search for suspect

• Suspect identified in Denver shooting

• Shooting took place during 'security search’

• Suspect subject to daily searches after recently transferring from other school district

• Congressman alerted to shooting while introducing legislation to combat gun violence

• One staff member remains in critical condition

Coroner identifies body as suspect Austin Lyle

10:40 , Rachel Sharp

On Thursday morning, the Park County coroner’s office confirmed that a body found in the search for the gunman was that of suspect Austin Lyle.

Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said on Wednesday night that police had located a male body in some woods close to an abandoned red Volvo associated with the 17-year-suspect.

The sheriff said that the body had not yet been identified as belonging to the student but a shelter-in-place was lifted for residents in the Park County area.

Early on Thursday, the coroner confirmed the body belongs to Lyle.

The coroner said that an investigation is now under way into his death and that no further details will be provided until an autopsy was completed.

PHOTOS: Parents meet students after East High School shooting

09:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Victims identified

08:30 , Rachel Sharp

The two victims have now been identified as Eric Sinclair, a dean of culture, and Jerald Mason, coordinator in restorative practice.

The two male faculty members were both shot during the Wednesday morning incident at East Denver High School.

They were rushed to hospital.

Mr Sinclair remains in critical condition while Mr Mason was later released from hospital after treatment.

Students from East High School were set to testify before Colorado Legislature on gun safety bills.

08:00 , AP

Students from East High School had been scheduled to testify Wednesday afternoon before the Colorado Legislature on gun safety bills.

“This is the reality of being young in America: sitting through a shooting and waiting for information just hours before you’re scheduled to testify in support of gun safety bills,” said Gracie Taub, a 16-year-old East High School sophomore and volunteer with Students Demand Action in Colorado.

“Our school experience should not be completely shaped by gun violence,” she added.

Denver school suspect shooter found dead - report

07:38 , Shweta Sharma

The 17-year-old boy suspected of shooting two administrators at the Denver high school was found dead in an apparent suicide, reported 9News.

It comes after Park County police confirmed a body was found yesterday night in the Colorado woods near the abandoned car that belonged to a 17-year-old student.

But the police did not identify the body.

A law enforcement source told 9News that the body was of the suspect, Austin Lyle, who died of suicide.

PHOTOS: Students meet with parents after shooting

06:30 , Gustaf Kilander

No school resource officers on campus at time of shooting

05:00 , AP

There were no school resource officers on campus at the time of Wednesday’s shooting, Police Chief Ron Thomas said.

But following the shooting, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero said two armed officers will be posted at East High School through the end of the school year.

In June 2020, amid a summer of protests over racial injustice following the murder of George Floyd, Denver Public Schools became one of the districts around the US that decided to phase out its use of police officers in school buildings.

That push was fueled by criticism that school resource officers disproportionately arrested Black students, sweeping them into the criminal justice system.

Gun violence at schools has become increasingly common in the U.S. with more than 1,300 shootings recorded between 2000 and June 2022, according to researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School and Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

Those shootings killed 377 people and wounded 1,025, according to a database maintained by the researchers.

PHOTOS: Students reunite with parents after shooting

03:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Father says this year has been ‘relentless’ for East High School students amidst multiple lockdowns

02:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The father of a senior at East High School has told The Denver Post that the last few months have been “relentless” for students at the school as they have gone through multiple lockdowns following a previous shooting last month.

Luis Garcia was shot while he was sitting in his car near the school on 13 February. He died from his injuries on 1 March.

Students have said they have been placed on lockdown several times since that shooting and a firearm was found on campus the day after students went back to classes.

False reports of threats have been sent to the school twice since autumn.

Ben Roy is the father of a senior at the school. He told The Post that this year has been “relentless” for the students.

“It feels like every other week there’s been a perimeter lockdown,” he said on Wednesday. “It’s just constant.”

“I think what scares them, for my son, is how little he reacts now,” he added. “He’s grown numb to it and at other times anxious. I hate this is the world we’ve made for them.”

Colorado Senator issues statement on shooting: ‘No one should have to live with the daily fear of gun violence'

00:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennett issued a statement on Twitter following the East High School shooting.

“I’m saddened to hear about two staff members who were shot at East High School,” he said. “I’m thinking of the kids, parents, teachers, and staff at East, and the entire Denver community at this time. No one should have to live with the daily fear of gun violence like this.”

‘It’s something that everybody has to worry about,’ student says after hiding in 7/11

Wednesday 22 March 2023 23:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Student Anae Hernandez told The Denver Post that she was outside the school when she saw an ambulance and one of the wounded members of faculty on a stretcher.

She was told that a shooting had taken place and she hid in a 7/11.

“It’s scary,” she told the paper. “It keeps us from our learning time.”

“I feel like it’s something that everybody has to worry about here a lot,” she added. “Because this is not like something that just happens once in a while. This is a recurring theme and it’s not something that should be going on.”

Her grandmother Jeannie Hernandez told the paper that “last time, I just hugged them and hugged them and told them how sorry I was”.

Suspect identified in Denver shooting

Wednesday 22 March 2023 22:06 , Josh Marcus

Police are searching for 17-year-old Austin Lyle in connection with a Wednesday school shooting in Denver, Colorado, that injured two school administrators.

Police described the teen as a Black male, about 5 feet, 5 inches, who was last seen wearing a green hoodie and may be driving a red 2005 Volvo XC90, Fox News reports.

A reward of $2,000 has been offered for information leading to the alleged gunman’s arrest.

Mayor speaks to fears of parents: 'We feel for them’

Wednesday 22 March 2023 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Mayor Michael Hancock addressed the fears of parents for their children when he spoke on Wednesday.

“We feel for them… There should never be a concern of parents that they are safe in the building,” he said, according to The Denver Post.

Denver Public Schools tweeted this morning that the school had gone into lockdown.

“All students are in their third-period classrooms,” the district said. “We are holding them there until further notice.”

They later announced that “we will be doing a controlled release once DPD allows” and that parents could collect their kids at 17th Avenue and Esplanade.

“Students who drove will be escorted to their cars in the parking lot and can leave. Students who ride the bus will be held until their bus arrives,” the district said at about 10.30am on Wednesday.

VIDEO: Fox News reporter embraces son as he exits East High School

Wednesday 22 March 2023 20:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Alicia Acuna is a reporter in the Denver bureau for Fox News.

Her son attends East High School and she became emotional as she caught up with him live on the air while reporting on the shooting on Wednesday.

Denver Schools releases statement

Wednesday 22 March 2023 20:00 , Graig Graziosi

Denver Schools released a statement following the shooting.

“We are working with the Denver Police Department to ensure the safety and security of our students. Additional communications will be shared with students and families as we know more. We cannot provide further comments at this time,” the school said.

‘We know who the suspect is. We will find him. We will hold him accountable'

Wednesday 22 March 2023 19:40 , Gustaf Kilander

DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero said at a press briefing on Wednesday that when school starts again, “we will have two armed officers here at East until the end of the school year. We’re looking forward to expanding that conversation to see how we can reestablish a relationship” with the police.

“We know who the suspect is. We will find him. We will hold him accountable,” Mayor Michael Hancock said, according to The Denver Post.

Shooting took place during 'security search’

Wednesday 22 March 2023 19:20 , Gustaf Kilander

The shooting took place during a “security search,” Denver police Chief Ron Thomas said, according to The Denver Post.

This was “a regular protocol with this student” based on previous actions. During the search, a gun was located.

The student fired the gun at about 9.50am “and was able to get out of the school”.

“We don’t have any sense of where he is. We know where he lives,” the chief said, adding that it was “a very troubling situation”.

Suspect subject to daily searches after recently transferring from other school district

Wednesday 22 March 2023 19:05 , AP

The suspect in Wednesday’s shooting had transferred to East High School from another district, Denver Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero said. Officials did not reveal why the student was subject to daily searches.

The school, not far from downtown near a busy street that cuts through the city, was placed on lockdown as police investigated the shooting.

Denver Public School confirmed the victims were administrators. Hundreds of parents lined up along a road near the school, with the scene sealed off by police.

Wednesday was the second anniversary of 10 people being shot and killed at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.

Police know who shooter is and is confident of possible arrest

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:50 , Gustaf.Kilander

Police know the identity of the suspect and were confident they would apprehend him, Police Chief Ron Thomas said.

“He obviously is armed and dangerous and willing to use the weapon, as we’ve learned this morning,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, warning the community as they search for the suspect.

Earlier this month students from the school skipped class and marched to Colorado’s state Capitol to demand stricter gun laws, following the death of a fellow student who was shot while sitting in a car near the school.

Police: 2 school administrators shot at Denver high school

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:35 , AP

Two school administrators were shot at a Denver high school Wednesday morning after a handgun was found during a search of a student, authorities said.

The juvenile suspect remained at large and the gun was not immediately recovered following the shooting at East High School, Police Chief Ron Thomas said.

The shooting happened at around 10 a.m. in an area away from classrooms as the student was undergoing a daily search as part of a “safety plan,” officials said. One of the administrators was critically injured and is undergoing surgery. The second victim was in stable condition, Thomas said.

Colorado Democrat responds after learning of shooting

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:20 , Gustaf Kilander

Colorado Representative Jason Crow tweeted that he was “shocked to hear that 2 faculty members were shot outside Denver’s East High School. Our thoughts are with the victim’s families and the entire East High community — my team & I will be monitoring the situation as we learn more”.

Congressman alerted to shooting while introducing legislation to combat gun violence

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:05 , Gustaf Kilander

Florida Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost tweeted that he was walking to introduce a bill aimed at fighting gun violence when the news broke of the Denver shooting.

“Ran into students from @NewtownAction as I was walking to introduce my first bill to tackle gun violence. During my walk, news broke of a school shooting in Denver, CO at East High School. We really are #GenerationLockdown,” he wrote.

“What the hell. Kids are literally on the frontlines of this crisis. I won’t rest until we #EndGunViolence,” he added.

VIDEO: Denver Mayor gives update on victims

Wednesday 22 March 2023 17:50 , Gustaf Kilander

Two staff members shot in active shooter incident at a Denver high school

Wednesday 22 March 2023 17:41 , Graig Graziosi

A pair of faculty members were shot at a Denver high school, and the suspect — believed to be a student — is still at large.

Police were called to East High School in Denver around 10am on Wednesday to respond to a shooting. The school was placed on lockdown as a result.

It is unclear if the shooting occurred inside or outside the school.

The Denver Public School district revealed that the victims were both adult male facutly members, and they have been transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The suspected shooter is reportedly known to the school’s staff and to police, and had to agree to a pat-down before entering school each day, according to CBS News.

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Two staff members shot in active shooter incident at a Denver high school