Watch above: Another school shooting in the United States, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the tragic loss of life at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Brian Mooar has the details.
TORONTO – One suspect is dead after a shooting at a local high school near Littleton, Colo. and two other students are in hospital.
Police said the suspect was a current student, and was found inside Arapahoe High School, killed by “what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
At this time in the investigation, police believe the deceased suspect acted alone. Investigators are examining a possible Molotov cocktail device that was found at the scene.
Robinson said the suspect walked into the school, made no effort to hide the shotgun, and “identified a specific teacher” he wanted to confront. Police are investigating the “degree and level” of the relationship between the student and the teacher who was targeted.
“That teacher began to understand that he was being looked at and exited the school quickly,” said Robinson.
He called the teacher’s decision to leave and try to draw the suspect out of the school a “very wise tactical decision.”
“Initially we were told there was a confrontation between the shooter and the student that was wounded,” said Robinson. “At this time, that’s probably not accurate. It appears the student was simply in the area of the student,” and suffered a serious gunshot wound at the time.
“We believe the student is still in surgery in a local hospital … our thoughts are with her and her family,” said Robinson.
A second student suffered a “minor gunshot wound” but police believe that student would be released by the end of the evening.
Robinson said police slowly evacuated the school in groups, bringing them to a nearby location to be transported away on school buses.
Students were seen walking toward the school’s running track with their hands in the air, and television footage showed them being patted down.
Parents were advised to reunite with the students at the Shepherd of the Hills Church.
The school is about 12 kilometres from Columbine High School in Littleton, where two teenage shooters killed 12 classmates and a teacher before killing themselves in 1999.
The shooting also came a day before the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and six adults were shot by 20-year-old gunman Adam Lanza.
With a file from The Associated Press
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