It is believed that the shooter Colorado STEM was a brute, made jokes about shootings in a school

May 10, 2019, 14:14 UTC

By Elisha Fieldstadt

One of the students accused of firing at a Denver area STEM school, killing a student and injuring eight others, harassing young children and making jokes about shooting on the school, said the students.

Devon Erickson, the alleged gunman, "would whisper, as if he were getting closer and getting a little bit around you, and whispering in his ear:" Do not come to school tomorrow, "said Kevin Cole , a former student of STEM School, Highlands Ranch, during an interview on "Today."

Erickson, 18, and a minor identified by police as a girl but who prefers male pronouns, are accused of entering the K-12 school with handguns. NBC News does not identify the minor suspect.

Kendrick Castillo, 18, was shot and eight were hospitalized. Several of the victims of the shooting were released and two are still in serious condition.

One student said at "today" that the scene – which occurred three days before the last day of the Highlands Ranch seniors' school – was chaotic.

"We heard screaming, we heard the police attacking, screaming, singing – shocking singing, and it was heartbreaking," said the student. "I can still hear them faintly, I can still hear them scream and sing."

Documents obtained by KUSA, affiliated with NBC, show that one parent warned school officials of the "Columbine rehearsal" months before shots were fired on Tuesday afternoon.

In December 2018, a school district director sent a letter to Highlands Ranch Executive Director Penny Eucker stating that a district official had received an anonymous call from a Highlands Ranch parent his concerns about the school and accusing administrators of a wide range of faults.

The parent said the school was suffering from "an extremely strong drug culture", "student violence due to an environment of high pressure," the letter says. The parent also reported bullying, "safety issues", sexual assault and a recent bomb threat.

"The individual called it" the perfect storm "-" the group thinks "and the students (…) are likely to" copy the content, "the letter says. "The individual expressed his concern about a repeat of Columbine or Arapahoe."

Twelve students and one teacher were killed in the shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, before the death of the two gunmen, and one student died after the shooting at Arapahoe High School on December 13, 2013. This shooter also returned gun. on himself.

The parent said that school officials had ignored his concerns. She also alleged that students had learned to make a bomb at school, that they had coated feces on the walls and were forced to clean her without gloves and that they were accusing a teacher. Hit a student. The parent also asked for a financial audit at the school, saying "money is being sent to China and Mexico," the letter says.

The Highlands Ranch parents were informed in February of some charges laid during the appeal, according to a letter from Eucker and a member of the school board.

"These outrageous criminal behavior charges by our exceptional and dedicated volunteer board are threatening their very professions, and an investigation by STEM's board and staff management revealed no evidence of these allegations," the letter said.

The school has taken legal action, refuting all allegations and accusing the parent of calumny and invasion of privacy. The prosecution sought to issue a subpoena for telephone records revealing the identity of the appellant.

STEM School Highlands Ranch officials, district and Eucker officials did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the letters and the lawsuit following Tuesday's shootings.