Arapahoe High School Shooting

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Fri Dec 13, 2013 at 07:38:48 PM EST
Tags: Colorado Shooting (all tags)

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No one besides the shooter died at Arapahoe High School today, where a male student entered the school with a shotgun and asked for teacher/librarian/Tracy Murphy. The shooter shot at Murphy and missed. A janitor helped Murphy get out of the school and into a car. The shooter then shot ~~two~~ one student who happened to be nearby. He then went into a classroom and killed himself. He was found 5 minutes after the shooting was first reported. No law enforcement shots were fired and all 2,000 students have been reunited with their families. Two 2 molotov cocktail "devices" were also found.

The deceased shooter is believed to be Karl Pierson.

The motive, according to the Sheriff, was revenge following a disagreement with the teacher a few days ago when the teacher "docked him a few points" in speech class.

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The Sheriff says the level of security at the school was not a factor and no level of security could have prevented this.

Two students were treated at Swedish Hospital and released (one was not shot but suffered an anxiety attack.) The third student, a 15 17 year old girl, was shot and has undergone surgery. Her condition has been downgraded from serious to critical. She is at Littleton Adventist Hospital. (Added 12/14/13: She is Claire Davis and her family says she is not doing well after surgery.)

The shooter lived on Sugarstone Circle in Highlands Ranch, and a bomb squad is at his home now, looking for explosive devices. He had a secondary home to which he had access that is also being examined. Search warrants are being applied for.

Authorities say Newtown and other school shootings had nothing to do with it. The kid had an issue with the specific teacher. The shooter may have been suspended Wednesday (Added: He was not suspended.) As usual, reports about him differ wildly, with some saying he was withdrawn and others saying he was outspoken and participated a lot in class. A friend of his who encountered the teacher when he left the school reports he was kind of nerdy and bullied. "He was a good person, people make mistakes."

The Sheriff says he is not aware of any advance threat or text message/social media warnings.