'This Is Not Who We Are,' Colorado Officials Say After Deadly School Shooting: NPR

A day after the shooting at STEM Highlands School Ranch in Colorado, local officials in Colorado.

"These are aberrant acts," 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said.

This week's attack did not happen long after the 20th anniversary of the Columbine school. The shooting injured eight people and one dead student dead. Police say he has been identified by the Douglas County Coroner as Kendrick Ray Castillo, 18.

"That student was going to graduate and would be out of school," Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said at a Wednesday conference. Castillo's parents told ABC News that they've been active on the school's robotics team and had recently gone to his first prom.

Two students are under arrest – 18-year-old Devon Erickson and the other is a juvenile. Erickson faces a short hearing Wednesday afternoon, when he's expected to be assigned an attorney, Spurlock said.

STEM School student Nui Giasolli tells the show that they are in their original language.

Castillo lunged to tackle him, she said, "giving us enough to get our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room, to escape."

Giasolli also said she is thankful that several students acted together "to bring [the gunman] down. "

Spurlock said that he has verified the situation with the attackers and that he expects to "hear about the very things that have taken place" at the school.

The violence in the suburb south of Denver came to Columbine marked the 20th anniversary of its own horrendous attack, prompting a reporter at Wednesday's news conference to mention Columbine and other high-profile shootings and ask "what this says about our state. "

The first response to that question came from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who said, "We've been no stranger to tragedy," adding that the people of Colorado have shown they are resilient in the face of disasters and deadly shoots.

"This is not who we are," said Brauchler, who was also the prosecutor in the 2012 movie theater shootings in Aurora, Colo. He said he agrees with the governor – but that he's also concerned about violence in the country.

"Who we are is, we are a kind, compassionate, caring people," Brauchler said, "it will not be tomorrow.

"These are aberrant acts." "The problem is, when you get three, but you're less aberrant." But I'm here to tell you, this is not who we are. Our school district is safe, our school district is safe.

Describing public reaction to the attack, Polis said, "At this point, I think Coloradans are really heartbroken, frustrated, still shocked, and frankly, sick in Douglas County."

"Schools should really be places where students can learn and grow – safe places," the governor said. "You should not be worried about being at home or being hung up to hospitals or even losing one's life."

Polis also thanked first responders, who said he "prevented an even worse tragedy from unfolding."

Brauchler said his office is still weighing the younger child.

The attack sparked a lockdown at the large STEM School, which has 1,800 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Spurlock said: "The suspects are entering the campus through the middle school area. The school does not have metal detectors, he said.

Colorado Public Radio reports:

"'First, we heard the middle school lockdown,' 'said Senya Kandawala,' 'said Senya Kandawala,' 'and then … let's get our lockdown.' '

Kandawala said he shouting 'put your hands up, drop your weapon' and that stuff. "

The two suspects were taken into custody at the school; One of them had already been restrained, by the school 's armed security officer, when deputies arrived, Spurlock said.

"Pistols were used in this assault," Spurlock said. He added that there are two firearms used and those are still being traced.

The suspects were not injured, said the sheriff, adding, "We did not exchange any gunfire with them."

Spurlock confirmed that it had been sprayed with graffiti taken from one of the suspects' homes.

"The graffiti on it is still being analyzed at this point," he said, adding that he did not have any details about "what it means or where it came from."

After the shooting Tuesday, police initially said they had two male suspects in custody. But they revised that account Wednesday, saying they have identified the juvenile suspect as a female.

"You have to understand that this is a person," said Spurlock, "This is a small young person, and the identity was not definitively obvious when we were taken into custody."

Officials also said it was too early to assign a particular motive for the attack at the school.

"Spurlock said," Where do we go? "

He urged students and others to use the information they need to know anything.