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Gunman kills girl, then self at Colorado high school

The man took six female students hostage, then shot one of them and himself as police moved in.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published September 28, 2006

BAILEY, Colo. - A gunman took six girls hostage at the high school in this mountain town Wednesday, using them as human shields for hours before he shot and fatally wounded a girl and then killed himself as a SWAT team moved in, authorities said.

The confrontation unfolded just a short drive from Columbine High School, the site of one of the nation's deadliest school shootings. The gunman, believed to be between 30 and 50 years old, was cornered with the girls in a second-floor classroom at Platte Canyon High School, and he released four of them, one by one.

Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said authorities decided to enter the school to save the two remaining hostages after the man cut off negotiations and set a deadline. He said authorities used explosives as they entered the classroom, only to have the suspect fire at officers, shoot one of the girls and then himself.

The man was not immediately identified, and the sheriff was at a loss to explain a motive.

"I don't know why he wanted to do this," Wegener said, his voice breaking.

The girl who was shot was taken to a Denver hospital in critical condition, but was pronounced dead, a hospital spokeswoman said. She did not release the girl's name.

The last hostage was unharmed and talking with authorities.

After the suspect entered the building, hundreds of students were evacuated in a scene that recalled the horror at Columbine in 1999, when 13 people were killed by two gunmen.

Students said the bearded suspect wore a dark blue hooded sweat shirt and a camouflage backpack. The sheriff said the man threatened to set off a bomb he claimed to have in the backpack. The man also had a handgun.

Tom Grigg said his 16-year-old son, Cassidy, was in a classroom when the man walked in, fired a gun and began telling some students to leave and others - all girls - to stay.

"He stood them up at the blackboard," Grigg said. "He hand-picked the ones he wanted to get out."

Authorities had what they described as "sporadic" negotiations with the suspect and urged him to contact them for more discussion. Officers eventually crept close to the building, and there were reports of an explosion inside.

Lynn Bigham, who said she was a family friend of the girl who died, said her friend had just turned 16.

Students described a chaotic scene inside after the intercom announced "code white" and everyone was told to stay in their classrooms.

The high school and a nearby middle school were soon evacuated. Jefferson County authorities - who also handled the attack at Columbine - sent a bomb squad and SWAT team to the high school.

Students from the two evacuated schools were taken to another school for a head count.

Ambulances were parked in the end zone of the high school's football field, and a tank-like SWAT team vehicle was parked nearby on a closed highway.

[Last modified September 28, 2006, 00:28:29]