UPDATE (11:30 a.m., 5/15): The younger of the two shooting suspects will be tried as an adult, prosecutors decided Wednesday morning. Parents and students comfort each other after a shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch on May 7, 2019. Devon Erickson at 18 was already facing a slew of charges as a full-fledged adult, but there were still question marks around his alleged accomplice, who is 16. Both teens made court appearances Wednesday morning, where they were officially charged. Erickson faces 48 counts, including first-degree murder after deliberation, arson and burglary charges. The younger suspect's court documents have not yet been made public and cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, so his charges are still unclear. ______________________________ UPDATE (10 a.m., 5/15): The two students accused of shooting up a STEM school in Highlands Ranch are both in court Wednesday. The May 7 shooting left one dead and several hurt. Students Kendrick Castillo, Brendan Bialy and Joshua Jones are credited as heroes for lunging at the shooters, taking bullets in the process. Kendrick lost his life protecting his classmates. 11 News is streaming Wednesday's hearing. Watch below:

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UPDATE (5/8, 3 p.m.): An 18-year-old boy is being hailed a hero for rushing one of the gunmen and taking three bullets to save his fellow students.

"I want to make something very, very clear: Kendrick Castillo died a legend," said Brendan Bialy, one of the students who disarmed the shooter.

In the terrifying moments between the first shots fired and the first deputy's arrival, it came down to three young men against a gun.

"What I saw yesterday was the absolute best of people. I got to see two heroes, two regular high school kids, two really awesome people jump into action without any hesitation, and I was more than lucky to join them in doing that action," Brendan said.

Brendan said there was no hesitiation on his or his classmates' part.

"It was immediate, non-hesitation, immediate jump into action. There was no questioning, there was no hesitation, there was no looking around. It was threat noticed, action time."

It was Kendrick who first lunged at the shooter.

"He charged the shooter and immediately was on top of him. Complete disregard for his own safety. He was immediately there to respond, he was immediately on the shooter and he was ready to end the threat," Brendan said.

In the scuffle, the gunman got off a couple of shots, hitting and killing Kendrick. Brendan eventually grabbed the gun.

"When he was shot and I saw him on the ground ... and once the other student who was helping us there was still on top of [the shooter] and he was done, and I had his handgun, I kept it in a safe direction and I went over to Kendrick and I gave him multiple verbal commands, questions, and he was not responding, and then once a teacher came in I tried my best to assist with that.”

John and Maria Castillo called their only child "extraordinary."

"I’d like the world to know that this wasn’t your average kid,” John Castillo said.

The grieving parents said they learned their son was killed when they went to the hospital looking for him.

"I was texting and I tried to FaceTime him, and I was getting nothing and my anxiety and my lump in my chest was growing. I just couldn’t believe it, I couldn’t believe that this was happening to my son," Castillo said.

Kendrick's family and friends say he died a hero.

"I know that because of what he did others are alive and I thank God for that. I love him and he is a hero and he always will be," his father said.

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UPDATE (5/8, 2:33 p.m.): Shackled at the waist and hair covering his face, the older of the two suspected gunmen in Tuesday's deadly school shooting made his first appearance before a judge.

Devon Erickson, 18, could face as many as 30 charges for allegedly shooting eight of his classmates at a STEM school in Highlands Ranch, including first-degree murder and dozens of attempted murder counts. Charges will officially be filed Friday.

Erickson kept his eyes fixed downward as he sat in the courtroom, only nodding in response to the judge's questions until forced to give a verbal answer to one.

Erickson will return to court Friday. Law enforcement are still deciding whether his alleged accomplice, a 16-year-old girl, will be charged as an adult.

"I want to consult with more of the victims; thus far, we’ve had the parents of the deceased here … I told them that before I made a decision, I'd have further discussion with them. This decision usually accompanies charges. I haven’t made a decision on charges yet; I want to get more investigating done before I make that decision. Once we got all that together, I'll reach out to victims, have a discussion and I'll make a decision," said District Attorney George Brauchler.

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UPDATE (5/8, 11 a.m.)

The Douglas County Sheriff's office alongside the Douglas County District Attorney and Governor Jared Polis addressed the state the morning after a horrific shooting. The Sheriff's office gave an update on what we can expect to see next in the investigation.

We learned from the Douglas County Sheriff's office that the second suspect was a juvenile female, not a male as previously reported by authorities. The other suspect is an adult. Both suspects were students at the STEM school. The Sheriff says they do have search warrants for the homes of both suspects.

Investigators will be out for the next two days sifting through the crime scene and investigating what led up to the suspect's motive in this shooting.

Sheriff Spurlock said his deputies did not exchange gunfire with the suspects. He said one of the suspects was already restrained by a security officer when deputies arrived at the school.

Our sister station in Denver reports the victim is 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo. Douglas County Sheriff, Tony Spurlock, says he would have graduated and been out of school in three days.

Five students have been released from the hospital. Three students are still in intensive care, according the sheriff's office.

Sheriff Spurlock has asked that the community come together to be strong and pray for the family of the student who died and the eight other students who were injured.

We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.

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UPDATE (5/8, 6 a.m.)

Watch below as authorities give a live updates on the STEM school shooting.

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UPDATE (5/8, 5:30 a.m.).

Our sister station in Denver, KCNC, is reporting 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo was the young man killed in the shooting. According to our sister station, Kendrick had a love for technology which was his focus while attending the STEM school.

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UPDATE (5/8, 4:55 a.m.)

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is expected to hold a news conference at 6 a.m. Wednesday to update the investigation. Watch 11 News This Morning for live coverage as soon as it happens.

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UPDATE (5/7, 9:39 p.m.)

Officers were still hearing gunshots as they responded to a school shooting in Colorado Tuesday afternoon that left one student dead and more than half a dozen other students injured.

At about 2 p.m. the Douglas County Sheriff's Office asked the public to avoid the area near STEM school at Ridgeline and Plaza in Highlands Ranch. Highlands Ranch is a suburb just south of Denver. As of 4:50 p.m. authorities were reporting eight students were injured. Several of them were in "critical" condition.

The sheriff's office clarified how many students had been shot at about 9:30 p.m.

"To confirm any confusion, there were eight students injured and sadly 1 student killed," the sheriff's office posted to social media.

Two suspects were taken into custody. The suspects were identified as one adult male and one juvenile male. Authorities believe they were both students at the school. Neither suspect was reportedly injured. The adult suspect was publicly identified as 18-year-old Devon Erickson later in the evening.

11 News crews were on scene outside a Highlands Ranch home authorities were searching. It is believed to be the home of Erickson. A vehicle was towed from the home that had the words "F**K SOCIETY" written across the side.

There are reports that one of the suspects used a guitar case to conceal the gun before he pulled it out and starting shooting.

“This is still an active shooter situation. We still don’t know whether there is still an active shooter inside,” said a spokeswoman with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office just before 3 p.m.

In the last public update Tuesday, it appeared only two suspects were involved in the actual shooting. The sheriff's office said this was an "unstable situation" when it first started unfolding.

The school has more than 1,850 students in kindergarten through 12th grades.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis sent out the following statement at 3:05 p.m.:

“We are making all of our public safety resources available to assist the Douglas County Sheriff's Department in their effort to secure the site and evacuate the students. We are monitoring the situation in real time. The heart of all Colorado is with the victims and their families.”

For Parents: STEM Students can be picked up at Northridge Recreation Center at 8800 S Broadway, Highlands Ranch, CO.

The FBI and ATF are aiding in the investigation.

The next public update is scheduled for 6 in the morning on Wednesday.</s>One student is dead and eight students were injured in a shooting at a Colorado school on Tuesday, according to authorities.

The deceased male, who has not been identified, was 18 years old.

Two suspects are in custody , Douglas County Undersheriff Holly Nicholson Kluth told reporters during a press conference. Emergency dispatchers received reports that shots were fired at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch just before 2 p.m., according to a tweet by the sheriff's office.

It is with extreme sadness that we can confirm that 1 student at the STEM School was killed in today’s #stemshooting incident. The immediate family has been notified. Douglas County Coroner Jill Romann has not officially identified the student is stating it’s an 18 year old male. — DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) May 8, 2019

Investigators believe one of the suspects is an adult and the other is a juvenile, and they are both students at the school, Douglas County Sheriff Anthony Spurlock told reporters.

The adult was identified late Tuesday as Devon Erickson, 18. Officials said they would not be releasing a photo of him "as it could jeopardize this critical ongoing" investigation.

Neither suspect was previously on the "radar" of law enforcement, Spurlock said.

Slideshow by photo services

Authorities do not have any information as to whether any of the injured were targeted, Spurlock said.



A struggle may have ensued between the suspects and someone at the school , Kluth said. The male suspects were not injured, Spurlock said.

(MORE: The 11 mass deadly school shootings that happened since Columbine)

The suspects got "deep inside the school" and engaged students in two separate locations, Spurlock said, adding that one of the weapons used was a handgun. Investigators believe they have located all suspects involved, he added.

The injured students, who are all at least 15 years old, were taken to area hospitals, some in critical condition, Spurlock said. Some students have since been released, and have been reunited with their families, he added.

The school does not have a school resource officer, but the school does have private security, Kluth said. School staff notified emergency dispatchers "almost immediately" after the first gunshots were fired, and deputies were on scene within two minutes and engaged the suspects, Spurlock said.

The charter school teaches kindergarten through 12th grade and has more than 1,800 students, Kluth said. More than 500 of those students are elementary age, ABC Denver affiliate KMGH reported.

(MORE: 6th grade students charged with plotting Tennessee school shooting after rumors of 'hit list' circulated, officials say)

The school was under lockdown as SWAT teams went from classroom to classroom to clear them, Kluth said. Nearby schools were placed on lockout, according to KMGH.

< PREVIOUS SLIDE SLIDE 1 of 7 NEXT SLIDE > Officers stand guard in front of STEM School Highlands Ranch after a shooting, May 7, 2019, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. © Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images

"This is a terrible event," Spurlock said. "This is something that no one wants to have happen in their community."

Parents were instructed to pick up their children nearby at the Northridge Recreation Center. Images showed dozens of children in a single file line with their hands on their head

(MORE: UCC instructor who escaped school shooting says students were 'running for their lives')

Concerned mother Kelley Paulson told KMGH that her sixth-grade son got out of the school but her third-grade daughter was still inside.

The school was surrounded by first responders, Paulson said.

Kelly’s son, Christian, said he was in study hall when he saw a “bunch of kids running out and saying, ‘school shooter, school shooter.’” At first, he wasn’t sure the situation was real, he said.

“I tried to run with my life but I’m out of breath,” Christian said.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said the state is making all public safety resources available to assist the sheriff's office.

"The heart of all Colorado is with the victims and their families," Polis said in a statement.

ABC News' Malka Abramoff, Bonnie Mclean and Alyssa Pone contributed to this report.</s>Two people injured and two in custody after US school shooting.

Two people injured and two in custody after US school shooting.

TWO suspects are in custody and at least two people have been injured following a shooting at a school in the US.

Police responded to reports of a shooting at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado just before 2pm local time.

Two people have since been arrested but it is believed there may be a third suspect involved.</s>Los Angeles, May 8 (IANS) At least seven students were injured in a shooting Tuesday afternoon at a school near Denver, capital of the US western state of Colorado, local police said.

“7 possibly 8 students have been injured. Two shooters in custody. SWAT still clearing school,” Douglas County Sheriff’s Office tweeted about two hours after the incident.

The reports of shots fired came at 1:53 p.m. (local time), according to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, which also confirmed later that two suspects were in custody so far, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Douglas County Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth was quoted by the Denver Post as saying that authorities did not believe another suspect was still in the school, however deputies were still going room to room at the school, clearing the building.

She said it wasn’t yet known whether the suspects were students at the school and she did not disclose the details of the shooting, just saying that when police entered the school, they found some sort of “struggle.”

Meanwhile, Wendy Forbes, spokeswoman for Littleton Adventist Hospital, briefed reporters that five patients were transported the hospital, four of them in serious condition while one in fair condition.

The incident occurred at STEM School Highlands Ranch, located about 32 kilometers south from the Denver downtown. There are about 1,850 students in the K-12 charter school.</s>HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. -- Two suspects entered a suburban Denver school Tuesday afternoon and shot nine students, one fatally, before they were apprehended following a struggle with law enforcement, according to local authorities.The deceased student has only been identified publicly as an 18-year-old male. The eight surviving victims, as young as 15 years old, were taken to three different hospitals, and at least three of them have already been discharged.The situation began just before 2 p.m. local time at STEM School Highlands Ranch, a charter school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, about 15 miles south of Denver. Administrators called police after hearing gunfire in the middle school, and Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth said "quite a few shots" were fired.The two suspects are an adult male and a juvenile male who are both believed to be students at the school.The sheriff identified the adult suspect as Devon Erickson, 18. His photo has not been released.The two suspects entered the campus and "got deep inside the school" before opening fire in two separate classrooms in the high school, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said. First responders arrived on the scene and took the suspects into custody following a brief struggle. The suspects were not injured."I have to believe that the quick response of the officers who got inside that school helped save lives," Spurlock said.The officers "could still hear gunshots as they were entering the school," Nicholson-Kluth added.Authorities have identified a car connected to the suspects and are obtaining warrants to search the car and the suspects' homes.Parent Fernando Montoya told ABC affiliate KMGH that his 17-year-old son was shot three times in a classroom. Montoya said his son's friend was also shot and that the shooter appeared to be firing indiscriminately and not targeting specific students.At least one handgun has been recovered. Neither suspect is believed to have had any prior contact with law enforcement, Spurlock said.There is a Douglas County Sheriff's Office substation just a block from the campus; Nicholson-Kluth described the response as a "unified effort" comprising multiple agencies.Federal investigators from the FBI and ATF are responding to the scene. The FBI is managing the crime scene inside the school."We are making all of our public safety resources available to assist the Douglas County Sheriff's Department in their effort to secure the site and evacuate the students. We are monitoring the situation in real time. The heart of all Colorado is with the victims and their families," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.The White House thanked local law enforcement and offered support, saying in a statement, "Our prayers are with the victims, family members, and all those affected by today's shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Littleton, Colorado. Tragically, this community and those surrounding it know all too well these hateful and horrible acts of violence. The White House has been in communication with state and local officials, and the President has been briefed and continues to monitor the ongoing situation."Approximately 1,850 students are enrolled at the school. The campus is just miles away from Columbine High School, the scene of a 1999 school shooting where two students killed 12 other students and one teacher.Police directed parents to nearby Northridge Recreation Center to pick up their children. The public was asked to avoid the area.Other Douglas County School District campuses were placed on lockout due to law enforcement activity in the area, but the lockout has since been lifted. The district has canceled all after-school activities scheduled for May 7.</s>Two suspects are in custody and seven to eight people were injured following a shooting Tuesday afternoon at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch, according to Douglas County sheriff’s officials.

The suspects are students at the school, and one is an adult and the other is a juvenile, Sheriff Tony Spurlock said. The suspects went “deep inside the school” and engaged in two locations, he said. The suspects used at least one handgun but it was unknown what other weapons might have been used.

Police are still searching the school, but do not believe there are any other suspects, Douglas County Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth said at a news conference.

Deputies are clearing the school, which has about 1,850 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, room by room, she said.

The reports of shots fired came at 1:53 p.m., according to a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office tweet. Deputies and police officers who already “were on scene almost immediately,” Nicholson-Kluth said. They entered the school, found some sort of “struggle,” and took two suspects into custody, Nicholson-Kluth said.

Sheriff’s officials have not described the extent of the injuries, but have not reported any deaths.

Littleton Adventist Hospital said it has received five patients from the shooting. Four are in serious condition and one is in fair condition, the hospital reported.

SkyRidge Medical Center confirmed it has two patients from the school in stable condition, which a spokeswoman said means their injuries aren’t life-threatening.

About a mile away, parents are gathering at the Northridge Recreation Center as they wait to be reunited with their children. The scene was chaotic with cars parked in bike lanes. Inside, hundreds of parents were checking their phones for updates from their children, law enforcement and the media. Some parents crying.

The crowd cheered when a Colorado State Patrol trooper told them two suspects were in custody. Parents were being into groups alphabetically by last name so their children could be brought to them.

“I’m just trying not to vomit or cry,” said one mother.

Brian Jones, whose son Asher is in second grade at the STEM School, said he dashed to the school after his boss told him about reports of a shooting. Jones arrived to see heavily armed sheriff’s deputies headed inside.

After about an hour, Jones saw Asher walk out of a classroom with fellow students. He yelled to his son to let him know his father was there.

“It’s nerve-wracking,” Jones said. “There were lots of parents and lots of kids crying.”

Buses were lining up at the school to take students to their parents. Law enforcement officials were asking for patience.

Matt Murphy already was on his way to pick up his daughter, 11, and son, 9, from the school when his wife called to tell him “something was going on.” When he pulled up, there was chaos rather the normal line of cars waiting to for students to be released.

He talked to his daughter, Madelyn, and she told him that she was OK.

“It’s just too bad that we have to worry about this,” Murphy said. “I know my kids and their friends are OK, but I know there are people who are not.”

Nicholson-Kluth said that multiple ambulances are still responding to the scene. A flight for life helicopter has landed.

The sheriff’s office is warning people to stay away from the school at 8773 S. Ridgeline Blvd.

“There are just too many rescue units in the area,” Nicholson-Kluth said.

The STEM School is on lockdown, according to the Douglas County School District. All other Highlands Ranch schools are on lockout, the district said.

Parents are being asked to go to Northridge Recreation Center at 8800 South Broadway to pick up their children.

“Unstable situation, shots fired at STEM school at Ridgeline and Plaza,” the sheriff’s office tweeted minutes after receiving the call of shots fired.

Several South Metro Fire Rescue units have been called to the school for assistance.

Nate Jones, spokesman for the Douglas County School District, said the STEM school is on lockout status and between 25 and 30 schools in Highlands Ranch have been placed on lockout status.

Jones said he does not have any information about any students or teachers who may have been shot.

“We’re currently waiting for law enforcement to brief us,” he said.</s>At least 7 injured in Colorado school shooting

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say at least seven people have been injured in a shooting at a suburban Denver school.

Douglas County Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth said Tuesday that two suspects have been taken into custody in the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch.

She says there's a possible eighth injury and doesn't believe there are any other shooters, but tactical teams are still searching room by room.

Nicholson-Kluth didn't know if there are fatalities or other details about the victims or the extent of their injuries.

She said the shooting started in the middle school area and shots were being fired as officers arrived.

The school is near a sheriff's department substation, and authorities responded quickly. Students were being bused to a nearby recreational center to reunite with their families.</s>Colorado school shooting leaves 1 dead and 8 hurt and 2 shooter in custody.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock, on Tuesday 2 students who attended the school walked into 2 classrooms and opened fire inside STEM School Highlands Ranch charter school.

Within minutes, deputies at a nearby sheriff’s department substation entered the school and arrested the two suspects after a struggle.

“As officers were arriving at the school, they could still hear gunshots,” Douglas County Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth said.

Yet another senseless shooting happened exactly 2 weeks from the shooting at UNC – Charlotte.

Also On The Light 103.9 FM:</s>HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. -- At least seven students are injured and two suspects were taken in custody following a shooting at a Colorado K-12 school, according to local authorities. The extent of the students' injuries is not immediately clear, and it's not clear how many were actually shot.Police are still working to secure the campus. The suspects appear to be juveniles, though it's not clear if they were students at the school, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.The situation began just before 2 p.m. local time at STEM School Highlands Ranch, a charter school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, about 15 miles south of Denver. Administrators called police after hearing gunfire in the middle school, and Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth said "quite a few shots" were fired.First responders arrived on the scene and apprehended the suspects within minutes. There is a Douglas County Sheriff's Office office substation just a block from the campus.Nicholson-Kluth described the response as a "unified effort" comprising multiple agencies. Federal investigators from the FBI and ATF are responding to the scene."We are making all of our public safety resources available to assist the Douglas County Sheriff's Department in their effort to secure the site and evacuate the students. We are monitoring the situation in real time. The heart of all Colorado is with the victims and their families," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.Approximately 1,850 students are enrolled at the school. The campus is just miles away from Columbine High School, the scene of a 1999 school shooting where two students killed 12 other students and one teacher.Police are directing parents to nearby Northridge Recreation Center to pick up their children. The public is asked to avoid the area.</s>HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — The Latest on a school shooting in suburban Denver (all times local):

Authorities say two suspects are in custody following a shooting at a suburban Denver school that injured multiple students.

A Douglas County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman told reporters Tuesday that there could be a third suspect in the school, which is still being searched.

Lines of firetrucks, ambulances and law enforcement vehicles are at the scene, and medical helicopters have landed.

The shooting occurred at STEM School Highlands Ranch, a public charter school with more than 1,850 students in kindergarten through 12th grades.

It’s near a sheriff’s department substation, and authorities responded quickly and in force to the shooting.

Students are being taken from the school to be reunited with their parents at a nearby recreation centre.

Authorities say a shooting at a suburban Denver school has injured two people.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says deputies are trying to find the shooter or shooters, calling it an “active and unstable scene.”

The shooting occurred at STEM School Highlands Ranch, a public charter school with more than 1,850 students in kindergarten through 12th grades.

The sheriff’s office directed parents to a recreational centre to pick up their children.
At least one person is killed and eight people are injured in a school shooting in Douglas County, Colorado. Two suspects are in custody.