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| 9/27/2006 4:51:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | Gunman takes hostages at Platte Canyon High School
Story; summary as of 3:50 p.m.
A lone male gunman entered Platte Canyon High School late this morning, fired shots and took hostages.
During a press conference at the Bailey Substation at about 2:30 p.m., Jefferson County Sheriff's Public Information Officer Jacki Kelley confirmed that two female students are being held hostage by an armed man inside the high school.
Six hostages were initially reported but "We are down to two, " stated Kelley.
Law enforcement officials were on the scene attempting to defuse the situation.
According to sheriff's dispatch reports starting at about 11:45 a.m., an adult male had fired a shot in a high school second-floor classroom after a teacher had refused to do what he asked.
Jan Howard, assistant to school district superintendent Jim Walpole, stated shortly after that the high school and the middle school had gone into lockdown mode, meaning no one could enter or leave the building except for authorized personnel.
The dispatcher described a situation in which the male had a "black squarish looking gun and fired one shot when the teacher refused to do what he asked."
At 11:50 a.m., the dispatcher said that the teacher had left the room five minutes before, but that students were still in the room with the man. Howard could not confirm whether a shot had been fired.
Flume reporter Cate Malek, who was on the scene, said U.S. 285 between the high school, administration building and Fitzsimmons Middle School was blocked and closed to traffic. The school campuses are 3.6 miles west of Bailey, an unincorporated community 40 miles southwest of Denver. The main access to both schools is on 285, a major highway traveling north to south across the state.
As of 2:10 p.m. The Flume learned that students from the high school were evacuated to the gymnasium in the administration building, and students from Fitzsimmons Middle School were evacuated to an outside area. They were then bused to Deer Creek Elementary about four miles east of Bailey where parents could pick up their children.
Flume reporter Cate Malek said no injuries have been reported and that a SWAT tank had pulled up to the school buildings at about 2 p.m.
As of 2:55 p.m., Kelley confirmed that two female students are being held hostage by an armed man inside the high school. Six hostages were initially reported but "We are down to two, " stated Kelley.
She also confirmed that the male described as being 30-50 year old has fired several shots inside the second floor classroom of the school. Kelley reports the man is also armed with "some suspicious device," but cannot confirm that the man had made threats about the device. Jefferson County SWAT and bomb squad are on scene."
The man has yet to be identified but Kelley has stated "that the right people know who he is."
20 jurisdictions are involved in the standoff with several agencies responding without being requested. Negotiations with the gunmen were reported as brief.
According to the school district's website, Fitzsimmons Middle School serves grades six through eight and has an enrollment of 310 Platte Canyon High School serves grades nine through 12 and has an enrollment of 460. Platte Canyon School District # 1 has a total enrollment of 1,315.
Flume Editor Tom Locke and Malek are covering the story. Further updates to the story will be posted as soon as they are received.
Look for complete details and photos in The Flume. The newspaper is scheduled to go to press in Salida this evening with papers delivered to Park County Thursday afternoon.
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The Park County Republican & Fairplay Flume.
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