Police: Denver High-School Student Shoots 2 Faculty Members
- By Matt Jones
- March 23, 2023
National news reports that on Wednesday, March 22, during a routine pat-down at a Denver high school, a male student shot two faculty members, according to school officials and local law enforcement. The suspected shooter, 17-year-old Austin Lyle, produced a handgun during the search, discharged the weapon, and fled the building, said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas during a news conference. Lyle remained at large during the day until his body was found in the woods about 50 miles southwest of Denver on Wednesday night, according to AP News.
The Associated Press reports that the pat-down was part of a “safety plan” for that particular student because of previous behavioral issues. No previous searches had resulted in any issues. Paramedics were already on-scene responding to a student having an unrelated allergic reaction, said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. The two wounded faculty members and the student were transported to a nearby hospital.
The Denver Public Schools Board of Education has since come under fire for removing school resource officers from the district in June 2020, according to Fox News. Armed officers will be placed at the school for the remainder of the school year.
“It’s also time to return school resource officers in our schools,” said Hancock on Wednesday. “Removing them was a mistake, and we must move swiftly to correct it. We’re ready to work with DPS, and we all have to step up as a community and be part of the solution.”