Alec McKinney and Devon Erickson in court

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colorado – Prosecutors are preparing to prosecute two teenagers accused of attacking their charter school in suburban Denver earlier this week, killing a classmate and wounding eight others.

The two men are scheduled to appear in court Friday after being questioned about the shooting, his plan and his possible impediment.

Authorities say that the deceased student, Kendrick Castillo, saved lives, while he and two other students rushed at least one of the shooters. His leader assigns a school security officer the disarmament and confrontation of the other shooter.

But, aside from these details, many questions remain about the why and how of this attack and the investigators persuaded a judge to temporarily keep most of the records and court reports.

Who are the suspects?

We know very little about the two suspects, in part because some media deliberately avoided covering them as part of the #NoNotoriety campaign. This campaign, organized by the survivors of other mass shootings, asks the media to minimize the coverage of the accused shooters in order to avoid copying incidents and avoid "rewarding" the shooters with a particular attention.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office holds reservation photos to not jeopardize the investigation.

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Authorities identified the two suspects as Devon Erickson, 18, and a minor identified as Maya McKinney and Alec McKinney. When appearing in court Wednesday, McKinney's mother said that he identified himself as a man and that he called Alec. The court records identify McKinney as Maya.

We do not yet know the nature of the relationship between the two accused shooters, but some classmates have suggested that intimidation may have played a role.

Erickson's social media accounts show that he was interested in music and theater. In court on Wednesday, he appeared chained and dressed in a red jumpsuit, his hair dyed purple and black partially masking his face. Neither he nor McKinney spoke, apart from brief answers to the judge.

What was their motivation?

Not clear. While some mass shooters publish their actions on social media or via a "manifesto", the suspects in this case do not seem to have given any indication. The investigators refused to discuss the case and the judge ordered that all court documents be temporarily sealed during the initial investigation.

In Colorado, ethical rules generally prohibit prosecutors and defense lawyers from discussing cases outside the courtroom. We should know more about the case at Friday's hearing, where prosecutors are expected to lay formal charges.

Parents of STEM students are shocked by what has happened, largely because the school promotes an environment of responsibility and personal acceptance. Candace Craig, who has three children in school, said understanding their motivation could help prevent future incidents.

"I want to call them by their names and reduce them to their actions, but when it's so close to home, there is one element that can not reduce them to what they did," she said. "We have to hear them, but I do not know how it looks healthy."

Could this have been avoided?

STEM School did not have a metal detector on its doorstep and was monitored by a contract security officer. The security officer disarmed and arrested one of the shooters, said his chief. But since the guard was in another part of the school at the start of the shooting, he had to rush into the area.

Three students are assigned to disarm the other shooter by getting rid of his weapon. The only death in this incident occurred when one of these students, Kendrick Castillo, was shot while he was rushing towards the gunman.

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On Thursday, it appeared that an anonymous woman claiming to be a STEM parent had brought grave charges to school administrators at the end of last year.

In an appeal to the school district where STEM School operates, the woman described widespread bullying, drug use and her fears of a "Columbine repeat" to the semi-autonomous charter. The anonymous complaints sufficiently alarmed the authorities to request an investigation by the police and school officials.

It is unclear whether there is a link between the woman's complaints and Tuesday's attack. As a charter school, the STEM school is largely exempt from the rules and policies governing neighboring public schools, although it remains accountable to the district via a legal agreement.

In January, STEM School officials categorically rejected the woman's concerns and sued her for defamation, according to the court's minutes and a letter sent by district officials to the school and obtained by USA TODAY. Since the woman's call was anonymous, STEM school officials asked a judge to call telephone records to find her.

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What about the actions of the private security guard?

Several media reported on Thursday that investigators were investigating allegations that the school's private security guard shot at a student or police officer during the incident. . The authorities refused to deal with this aspect of the case while the investigation was ongoing.

The founder of the security firm, Grant Whitus, rejected this suggestion, saying that his guard, a former sheriff's deputy and US Navy, was well trained. He added that the guard had been interrogated by detectives after the incident. Whitus, a former sheriff's deputy, said the investigators' actions indicate that his guard acted appropriately.

"During my 27 years of experience in policing, if I thought someone had shot at someone in a school, I would not have it. never released in an hour, "Whitus said. "It says a lot about this situation."

What happens next?

The two suspects are expected in court on Friday afternoon from 13:30. local hour. Prosecutors are supposed to announce the charges that will weigh on them two. Part of this decision will include the choice to sue McKinney as an adult or child.

Colorado law allows prosecutors to lay charges of serious crimes against adults of 16 and 17 years of age at an adult age without the prior permission of a judge.

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