Colorado School Shooting: Charges To Be Filed Wednesday

CASTLE ROCK, CO — In a change of schedule, two accused student shooters are now set to appear in District Court in Douglas County Wednesday May 15 to face charges after the mass-shooting incident Tuesday, May 7, that killed one student and wounded eight others. They had originally been scheduled for Friday.

Devon Erickson, 18, and Maya Elizabeth McKinney, 16, who goes by "Alec," are expected to be charged with as many as 30 counts each, including first-degree murder, unauthorized use of a weapon, attempted murder and assault. They are accused of opening fire on their classmates at STEM School in Highlands Ranch.

The school remains closed, Douglas County School District Superintendent Thomas S. Tucker said in a statement. Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said the school is still regarded as a crime scene, and the FBI has taken the lead in investigating.

On Thursday, news sources reported that the Douglas County School Board had received parent complaints in December, 2018 about the "pressure cooker" environment at the school from a parent who alleged that students were suicidal and violent, illegal drug use was rampant and the school could become "the next Columbine." DCSB members forwarded the allegations to the sheriff's office and the Department of Human Services and asked school Executive Director Penelope Eucker to investigate. Eucker and the school denied the accusations and filed a lawsuit in January to unmask the anonymous parent, multiple sources reported.

The two teens are accused of shooting classmates in two separate classrooms, using handguns they were not legally old enough to acquire, Spurlock said. KMGH reported Wednesday night that inside sources said the shooters may have stolen the handguns from Erickson's parents. Colorado residents are not allowed to buy handguns under age 21.

ABC News reported Thursday that high-ranking sources close to the investigation said authorities are trying to find out if, amid the confusion, a private security guard assigned to the school may have mistakenly fired at a deputy and wounded a student accidentally. KMGH, the Denver ABC affiliate, said it received similar reports from a source close to the investigation.

The security guard is employed by Boss High Level Protection and is a former Marine and Jefferson County sheriff's deputy. Spurlock has credited the fast-action of the security guard and the county's deputies for stopping the incident quickly.

The security guard's attorney, Robert Burk, told The Associated Press his client acted in the best interests of protecting the children at the school and helped resolve the situation without further bloodshed.

"He ran there as quick as he could and took what I think is decisive action that helped save lives," Burk said.

On Thursday, Fox31 reported that investigators said off-the-record that the two students may have tried to set fire to Erickson's home, where he lives with his family, before going to the school. Accelerant was found in the home, but the fire did not do much damage, the report said.

The sheriff's office said on Twitter Wednesday that it is seeking information from the public about the shooting and the suspects. Tips may be left on the Major Crimes Tip Line at (303) 660-7597.

Related: Parent Complained About 'Pressure Cooker' School Culture At STEM

Related: Colorado Educators, Parents Process Yet Another School Shooting

Related: Colorado STEM School Shooting Vigil Turns Chaotic, Emotional

Related: Colorado School Shooting Suspect Appears In Court: Watch

Related: Donations Sought For Family Of Slain Colorado Student

Related: Ivanka Trump Holds Private Meeting With Douglas Co. Sheriff

Related: Colorado School Shooting: 5 Heroes Who Saved Lives

A vigil held Wednesday night nearby at Highlands Ranch High School turned chaotic and emotional after STEM School students marched out following statements from U.S. Congressman Jason Crow and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is running for president in 2020. The vigil was organized by Enough Colorado and March for Our Lives, but students complained the event was "politicized." Students finally took the microphone and made their voices heard.

Meanwhile, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office warned the public to be aware of multiple online crowd-funding campaigns that have popped up, and urged members of the public who want to contribute to the family of slain student Kendrick Castillo to do so through an official account at Wells Fargo Bank.

More information was learned about Castillo, a graduating senior who was killed as he lunged toward one of the shooters to try to disarm him in a ninth-period English classroom.

Castillo and another student, identified in the The Denver Post as Joshua Jones, were both shot at close range by the gunman, according to classmate accounts. Castillo died, and Jones is recovering at home, the Post reported. A third student, Brendan Bialy, said he also jumped on the gunman, and "dislodged the gun from the shooter's hand," the Post reported.

Castillo was a member of the robotics club and was planning to attend Arapahoe Community College, his father said. His last day of school would have been Friday.

The two accused shooters appeared in Douglas County District Court Wednesday, where Judge Theresa Slade agreed to temporarily seal both arrest affidavits. Both accused students are being held with no bond, Erickson at the Douglas County jail and McKinney at the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center in Englewood, according to the Denver Post.

Spurlock, the Douglas County sheriff, said a call was received at around 2 p.m. on May 7 at the charter school with about 1,850 students in grades kindergarten through 12. Sheriff's deputies responded within two minutes to the school, Spurlock said. The two suspects were taken into custody without injury.

No motive has been given for the shooting, but KMGH reported Tuesday night that unnamed law enforcement sources said the shooting "involved revenge and anger towards others at the school." Along with handguns, a rifle was also recovered, the station reported.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.