How old is Austin Lyle? East High School student wanted for attempted homicide after shooting of 2 staff members

Austin Lyle, a 17-year-old East High School student from Denver, Colorado, is the prime suspect in the shooting of two school staff members on March 22, Wednesday morning. A manhunt is underway for Lyle, who has been charged with attempted homicide.

He was described by Denver police as a black male who is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. The student was last seen in a green hoodie. Lyle’s car, a 2005 red Volvo XC90, was located by police on Wednesday afternoon in Park County, southwest of Denver.

Police have set up a $2,000 reward for information leading to the location of Austin Lyle, who allegedly opened fire on Wednesday around 9:50 a.m. before fleeing the school premises.

The two school administrators who fell victim to the shooting were taken to a local hospital. One of them was critically wounded, and the other was in stable condition. The shooting occurred during a daily search inside the school office.

The handgun that Austin Lyle used has not yet been located by the police. Anyone with information about the student is requested to reach Metro Denver Crime Stoppers via call at 720-913-7867.

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Denver Public Schools to post armed officers in schools following Wednesday's shooting by Austin Lyle

In January, Austin Lyle moved from Cherry Creek's Overland High School to East High School. In Overland, he violated the board policy and was thus removed. Lyle was required to be on a safety plan where he agreed to be patted down daily before entering the school grounds.

During a search on Wednesday, he was found carrying a handgun. Ron Thomas, the Denver Police Chief, said:

“As part of a safety plan they were undergoing a search, as part of that search a weapon was retrieved, a handgun was retrieved, and several shots were fired, striking those two individuals, that individual then fled the school and we do know who that individual is and a search is underway to try to locate that particular individual."

Police officers rushed to the school just before 10 a.m. after Austin Lyle fired. Denver Public Schools confirmed the identities of the two victims as Jerald Mason and Eric Sinclair.

They are said to be the deans at East High School. Mason was stable when he was admitted to the hospital. He was treated and later released. However, Sinclair remains in a serious condition after undergoing surgery.

DPS released a statement regarding the shooting and said that they were working in cooperation with the Denver Police Department to ensure students’ safety and security. The statement added:

“Additional communications will be shared with students and families as we know more. We cannot provide further comments at this time."

No classes will be held at East High School for the rest of the week. Spring break will begin in Denver Public Schools on Friday afternoon. They will appoint two armed officers at East High School for the remainder of the school year.

As a result of the shooting, a lockdown was announced at the school. The search for Austin Lyle has extended beyond the Denver metro area and other parts of Colorado, including Park County and Jefferson County. Police also searched an apartment building adjacent to Congress Park but did not find Lyle.

A male body was found near Austin Lyle's car. However, the deceased person has not been identified.

DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero proposed the re-establishment of an armed presence in their schools after the school board voted to remove resource officers from schools in June 2020. Alex sent a letter to the Denver School Board on Wednesday afternoon, informing them of his decision to post armed officers in comprehensive high schools.

He also added in the letter that he was aware of his violation of a clause within DPS, but he refused to stand on the sidelines anymore and was willing to accept the consequences of his actions.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also released a statement in which he said:

“It's also time to return School Resource Officers in our schools. Removing them was a mistake and we must move swiftly to correct it. We're ready to work with DPS, and we all have to step up as a community and be part of the solution."

Hancock said that crews from the Denver Fire Department were already at East High School for a separate medical call on Wednesday when the shooting happened. As a result, the medical response to the attack was quick.

In 2021, Austin Lyle was arrested for possessing an extended gun magazine and a so-called "ghost gun." Law enforcement sources who were acquainted with the case said that the student is still on probation for the incident.