by A dead person was found near a vehicle that had been searched after a shooting at a Denver high school, officials from a nearby county said Wednesday night.
Park County officials did not identify the person found dead, but said the person was found near a vehicle connected to the suspect in the East High School shooting earlier in the day.
A shelter-in-place that had been ordered for some residents near where the car was located was put up later Wednesday when the person was found dead.
Denver police spokesman Kurt Barnes said Wednesday night that the Park County Medical Examiner’s office would release the identity of the person who was found.
denver police had named 17-year-old Austin Lyle as a suspect in the shooting that wounded two school administrators around 9:50 a.m., Denver police said.
The student was under a “security plan” and had agreed to be frisked every morning, authorities said.
“During that search, obviously a weapon was recovered,” Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said. “A handgun was recovered and multiple shots were fired.”
The weapon was not recovered at the school, the police said earlier.
The vehicle he was driving was found in Park County, southwest of Denver, police said Wednesday night. The SUV was found near Bailey, about 35 miles from the high school, Park County said.
One of the injured administrators remained at a hospital in serious condition Wednesday night, while the other had been released in good condition, a Denver Health spokesman said.
Police said the student had never been found with a weapon before the incident Wednesday morning. They did not say how long the student had been under the security plan, which meant he was searched every morning in the school office, away from students and other staff.
Denver officials did not say why the student was under the security plan, citing federal student privacy laws.
Safety plans are implemented at all district schools to address behavior issues in coordination with students’ guardians. Plans are tailored to individualized needs and are implemented from minor issues to more serious concerns.
East High School recently lost a student, Luis Garcia, after he was shot to death on February 13 while sitting in a car near campus, NBC affiliate KUSA reported. The death of Garcia, a soccer player at the school, sparked a student-led campaign to reform gun safety.
Students led a strike on March 3 and went to the state Capitol to demand legislative action, according to KUSA.
Gracie Taub, co-director of the East High School chapter of Students Demand Action, said in a statement tweeted from the organization’s account that this was the “reality” of America’s youth.
“This is the reality of being young in America: witnessing a shooting and waiting for information just hours before you are scheduled to testify in support of gun safety bills,” Taub said.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called the shooting tragic and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
“Our students should and must be able to attend school without fear for their safety, their parents deserve the peace of mind that their children are safe in the classroom, and teachers must be able to work safely and without harm,” Polis said.
The governor also acknowledged that the school shooting occurred exactly two years after 10 people were killed in Boulder when a gunman opened fire at a King Soopers grocery store.
