GUILTY CO - 1 dead, 8 injured, shots fired at STEM School in Highlands Ranch, 7 May 2019

[x_files]

I go to work in a school. I love my job and I love my students. The times we live in today are not the same as when we were young. Today, if you are bullied, there is no safe place. The bullying follows you 24/7 because of social media. It's easy to say, "stay off the Internet", but that is not a realistic plea. I spend extra time with students that are bullied to keep telling them that they don't deserve this, they are really good, they don't bully people, they hold doors open, they are kind and I think highly of them. Bullying, name calling, socially outcasting publicly, all that is soul crushing. When it is relentless, it becomes unbearable. And the bullies often have higher social standing, better grades, ....of course, I try my best to stop the bullying when I see it, but I try to be the person that shows the bullied person that they are not what they are called, that they are not deserving of the treatment that they are getting. That I see them having wonderful values, I see beyond the differences they have to the inherent goodness in them. The drills that we have are tough. Students are scared. Most of my students are such admirable individuals. These are tough times. There are no easy answers but we need to act honorably, and model kindness and caring. At every opportunity each day. You never know your own impact on others each day. Sorry this is long.

It's true it's difficult to escape bullying now, you cannot just leave it at school, and turn it off. You can move to another city, state and it can follow you unless you completely change your identity.
This needs to be fully researched. If nice kids are snapping and shooting classmates that didn't seem to have disorders prior society needs to take a look at everything including social media/bullying.

 

[x_files]

No red flags here.......

and then many kids write society on their books and never shoot anyone, however, sprayed on the car I'd like to know wth was going on at school. Teens rebel and act out it's normal, shooting classmates however shouldn't be but is becoming the norm.

 

[PrairieWind]

and then many kids write **** society on their books and never shoot anyone, however, sprayed on the car I'd like to know wth was going on at school. Teens rebel and act out it's normal, shooting classmates however shouldn't be but is becoming the norm.

I would like to know WHEN that stuff was spray painted on the car. Maybe it was just that morning. But if it was days or weeks earlier, the parents, friends etc should have been finding out what was going on.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

and then many kids write **** society on their books and never shoot anyone, however, sprayed on the car I'd like to know wth was going on at school. Teens rebel and act out it's normal, shooting classmates however shouldn't be but is becoming the norm.

Teens writing **** society on their books or cars is not normal. I feel like it's more of a cry for help and attention seeking behavior. Some will take attention however they can get it, good or bad. Regardless, teens who are rebelling and acting out shouldn't be ignored or brushed off. Typically there are signs and red flags displayed by the shooter before they shoot up a school.
jmo

 

[dspdenver]

STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting suspect played guitar, sang in rock bands

According to this article, DE and his girlfriend recently broke up, so that could have triggered something, but at this point, who knows.

[Erickson texted Beatty a few weeks ago and said he broke up with his girlfriend because she insisted he distance himself from other friends, Beatty said.

For Beatty, his best friend is gone forever.

“In my mind he’s pretty much dead. He’s effectively killed himself, too, in a terrible and unimaginable way,” Beatty said.]

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

Crashing a funeral or vigil to push your political agenda should be "cause" for LE to force such people into an immediate mental health evaluation, imo. Crashing a funeral or vigil is a form of emotional abuse heaped upon the grieving. I'm so glad the kids took back their vigil! What smart kids!! I hope they take this energy and use it to send lot of positive support to those still in the hospital .

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Crashing a funeral or vigil to push your political agenda should be "cause" for LE to force such people into an immediate mental health evaluation, imo. Crashing a funeral or vigil is a form of emotional abuse heaped upon the grieving. I'm so glad the kids took back their vigil! What smart kids!! I hope they take this energy and use it to send lot of positive support to those still in the hospital .

I agree. I admire the kids!

 

[Gardenista]

Source: STEM suspects smashed into locked gun cabinet

 

[PrairieWind]

Source: STEM suspects smashed into locked gun cabinet

So that makes it sound like they spray painted the car that morning.

 

[Gardenista]

So that makes it sound like they spray painted the car that morning.

And they tried to light it on fire which could have burned the house down. Two very evil people.

 

[ReadySet]

Authorities are also investigating whether the armed guard at the school may have mistakenly fired at deputies who were responding to the shooting and whether one of the students was hit by a bullet from either the guard or a responding deputy. Spurlock has said the guard was instrumental in taking one of the alleged shooters to the ground, as well.

"I know that my client is a hero and I know that he did everything in his power to protect the kids, and the staff and the faculty that he knows and works with every day,” the guard’s attorney, Robert Burk, said in an interview Thursday.

Source: STEM suspects smashed into locked gun cabinet

 

[Gardenista]

Authorities are also investigating whether the armed guard at the school may have mistakenly fired at deputies who were responding to the shooting and whether one of the students was hit by a bullet from either the guard or a responding deputy. Spurlock has said the guard was instrumental in taking one of the alleged shooters to the ground, as well.

"I know that my client is a hero and I know that he did everything in his power to protect the kids, and the staff and the faculty that he knows and works with every day,” the guard’s attorney, Robert Burk, said in an interview Thursday.

Thank goodness for that guard

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

And they tried to light it on fire which could have burned the house down. Two very evil people.

Destroy their parents' home. Destroy their school. Destroy other students. Destroy, destroy, destroy.

Kids in the 1960s, protested and fought their parents, the establishment and the government, but they weren't filled with intense hatred and the need to destroy. They had been taught that it was important for their souls to forgive those who offended them. Hatred is lethal .

 

[Breezie]

Colorado parent warned school about violence and bullying before school shooting


Five months before the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch that killed one student and injured eight others, CBS News learned school Executive Director Penelope Eucker was sent a letter warning about violence and bullying at the school. The letter was written by a school district official with information from an anonymous parent of a high school senior, who called the district with concerns about the school.

According to the letter, "there is an extremely high drug culture at STEM," and "many students are suicidal and violent." The anonymous parent called it the "the perfect storm" and "expressed concerns about a repeat of Columbine."

The Douglas County School District official said all of the concerns were reported to "the Department of Human Services and to the sheriff's department." STEM school officials disputed the claims and filed a lawsuit in January against the anonymous parent for what they called "defamatory statements."

 

[Gardenista]

Colorado parent warned school about violence and bullying before school shooting


Five months before the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch that killed one student and injured eight others, CBS News learned school Executive Director Penelope Eucker was sent a letter warning about violence and bullying at the school. The letter was written by a school district official with information from an anonymous parent of a high school senior, who called the district with concerns about the school.

According to the letter, "there is an extremely high drug culture at STEM," and "many students are suicidal and violent." The anonymous parent called it the "the perfect storm" and "expressed concerns about a repeat of Columbine."

The Douglas County School District official said all of the concerns were reported to "the Department of Human Services and to the sheriff's department." STEM school officials disputed the claims and filed a lawsuit in January against the anonymous parent for what they called "defamatory statements."

Whoa!!!

 

[mickey2942]

Colorado parent warned school about violence and bullying before school shooting

Wow. When I taught school, if I had received a letter like that, I would have called in the parent, and had a meeting. Proactive collaboration.

It sounds like the administration went on the defensive here. Not the best move.

I heard that some of the teachers at this school, had also been working at Colombine H.S. 20 years ago...I would have put in my retirement paperwork this week!

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Colorado parent warned school about violence and bullying before school shooting

Wow. When I taught school, if I had received a letter like that, I would have called in the parent, and had a meeting. Proactive collaboration.

It sounds like the administration went on the defensive here. Not the best move.

I heard that some of the teachers at this school, had also been working at Colombine H.S. 20 years ago...I would have put in my retirement paperwork this week!

I can’t even imagine.

 

[glamourkitty1922]

Thank you. This may be the same case I was thinking of , but from what I remember about the other lone female mass shooter she was a teen, and not a student at the school that was targeted.

Iirc she had a rifle, and was shooting from across the street from the school, shooting children who were outside on the playground.

I may have the particulars mistaken though, but I thought that mass shooting happened in the 70s.

Thanks again for the link. I will read it when I have more time.

Jmo

This may be the shooting you're thinking of. On Jan 29, 1979 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego CA. She is still in prison for murdering 2 people and injuring 9

 

[kaen]

Colorado parent warned school about violence and bullying before school shooting


Five months before the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch that killed one student and injured eight others, CBS News learned school Executive Director Penelope Eucker was sent a letter warning about violence and bullying at the school. The letter was written by a school district official with information from an anonymous parent of a high school senior, who called the district with concerns about the school.

According to the letter, "there is an extremely high drug culture at STEM," and "many students are suicidal and violent." The anonymous parent called it the "the perfect storm" and "expressed concerns about a repeat of Columbine."

The Douglas County School District official said all of the concerns were reported to "the Department of Human Services and to the sheriff's department." STEM school officials disputed the claims and filed a lawsuit in January against the anonymous parent for what they called "defamatory statements."

It is never good when a school doesn't put systems in place to review the school culture when given a warning/caution. Many schools have culture issues and the mark of an exemplary school is to listen, learn and adjust to meet the needs of the students.

I think it is very telling that the school decided to file a lawsuit rather than pick up on what was needed. Hard to believe there were no concerns at the school.

As a counselor, I would have certainly acted if that was information gathered from a letter.

 

[Flurries]

What an amazing outlook this young man has regarding how he lives his life!