Two administrators at a Denver high school were shot and wounded Wednesday by a student who was undergoing a required daily search for weapons.
The Denver Post reports that the student, identified as Austin Lyle, 17, fled the East High School campus and was found dead by suicide hours later about 50 miles from Denver.
Students and parents identified the shooting victims as Dean of Culture Eric Sinclair and Jerald Mason, a restorative practice coordinator in the dean’s office.
Sinclair was reported to be in serious condition at an area hospital. Mason was treated for his injuries at the hospital and has been released.
The shooting occurred at about 9:50 a.m. in an office area away from students, officials said. Lyle was undergoing a search for weapons when a gun was discovered. The student then fired shots and fled.
The Park County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that Lyle's body found Wednesday night on Park County Road 68
Lyle, who previously was “removed” from Overland High School in Aurora over discipline issues, was required to be searched when he arrived at school every morning as part of a pre-existing safety plan because of his past behavior.
Paramedics were already in the school when the shooting happened because a student was suffering an allergic reaction, Mayor Michael Hancock said. Those paramedics were able to treat the shooting victims immediately, and the quick medical treatment might have saved a life.
Students at East have spoken out in recent weeks about no longer feeling safe on campus after a classmate was fatally shot about a month ago. Luis Garcia, a junior, was sitting in his car near East when he was shot on Feb. 13. The 16-year-old died from his injuries more than two weeks later, on March 1.
East hasn’t had Denver police assigned to the school since the school board removed all resource officers in 2020.
Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero suggested in the wake of the attack that the resource officer program could be revived. He announced that two armed officers will be at East for the rest of the school year.
