The Latest: Dispute meant no officer at school during attack

By Associated Press 11 May 2019, 12:00AM

DENVER (AP) — The Latest on the shooting at a Colorado school that killed one student and injured eight (all times local):

8:20 p.m.

A Denver-area school where a shooting killed a teenager and wounded eight other students was without a resource officer because of a canceled sheriff's office contract.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Friday his department did not renew its STEM School Highlands Ranch contract amid a dispute over resource officers' duties. Instead, the school hired a private firm.

A law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Thursday that a guard credited with capturing one of the suspects in Tuesday's attack fired his weapon inside the school. Two news organizations citing anonymous sources reported that authorities are investigating whether the guard mistakenly fired at a responding sheriff's deputy and may have wounded a student.

A Friday school statement said violence hits campuses with and without resource officers. It credited the guard, deputies and students with thwarting the attack.

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2:40 p.m.

Seven of the eight students who were wounded in a shooting at a suburban Denver school have been sent home from hospitals.

Littleton Adventist Hospital said Friday it's still treating one patient, who is in fair condition. The hospital released a second patient Friday and three others on Tuesday, the day of the attack.

Sky Ridge Medical Center received two shooting victims and both have been released. Another was treated and released at Children's Hospital Colorado South.

A ninth victim, 18-year-old student Kendrick Castillo, was killed during the attack at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch. Witnesses say Castillo was shot while tackling one of the two shooters.

Two teenage suspects were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Formal charges are expected next week.

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9:35 a.m.

Charges won't be filed against the suspects in a suburban Denver school shooting until next week.

The suspects had been scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon to learn the charges against them. However, court spokesman Rob McCallum said that both the prosecutors and defense agreed to delay the hearing until Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for prosecutors, Vikki Migoya, couldn't comment on the delay. During initial hearings this week, prosecutors had asked to wait until Monday.

Authorities have identified the suspects as for Devon Erickson, 18, and 16-year-old Alec McKinney, who is listed in court documents as Maya.

One issue they must decide is whether to charge McKinney as an adult

The two allegedly opened fire at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday.

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This entry has been updated to correct the spelling of the district attorney's spokeswoman's name.

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11:15 p.m.

Both suspects in a suburban Denver school shooting are due back in court as prosecutors file charges in the attack that killed a student and wounded eight others.

Prosecutors also are expected to decide Friday whether to charge the younger suspect as an adult.

Authorities have identified the suspects as 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Maya McKinney, whose attorney said uses male pronouns and the name Alec.

The two allegedly opened fire at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday, just miles away from Columbine High School and a few weeks after the 20th anniversary of a massacre there.

Investigators have not discussed a motive for the shooting.

Witnesses have said 18-year-old student Kendrick Castillo was killed after charging at one of the shooters and pinning him to the wall.

By Associated Press 11 May 2019, 12:00AM

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