Eight students shot, 1 killed, after two gunmen open fire at Colorado school

Last month, as the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting approached, STEM School Highlands Ranch joined hundreds of schools near Denver in closing temporarily amid security concerns. The anniversary came and went, and schools returned to their routines. But Tuesday afternoon, the STEM school's worst fears were realised when eight of its students were shot and one killed — less than 12km from Columbine — and two fellow students were being held as suspects. "We know two individuals walked into the STEM school, got deep inside the school and engaged students in two separate locations," Sheriff Tony Spurlock of Douglas County said at a news conference. "There were a number of students that were shot and injured." Eight students had been taken to area hospitals and one died of their injuries. "Several" were in critical condition, the sheriff said, although local hospitals described their conditions as less dire. Spurlock said the suspects, who were armed with a handgun and other weapons, confronted law enforcement officers when they arrived. He said the suspects, one adult and one juvenile, were not injured. Shooting At STEM School Highlands Ranch: Multiple Students Injured, 2 In Custody. / CBS "I can tell you that there were shots fired," he said. "Our officers went in and engaged the suspects. We did struggle with the suspects to take them into custody." Spurlock said he would not release details about the injured students, their ages or their injuries Tuesday night. "I heard a gunshot," said Makai Dixon, 8, a second grader who had been training for this moment, with active shooter drills and lockdowns, since he was in kindergarten. "I'd never heard it before." Makai's parents said they joined thousands of others in rushing to the school as news blazed through this suburban community. "We're

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