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On Wednesday, March 22, Denver East High School shooting suspect Austin Lyle was found dead in what appeared to be a suicide. According to the New York Post, the 17-year-old is suspected of shooting two school administrators when they searched him for weapons during a routine check. While one of the victims is currently out of the hospital, the other is reportedly still in critical condition.
Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence.
According to CNN, the shooting occurred at approximately 10 am. Austin Lyle was subjected to a weapons check due to a history of behavioral issues at the school. However, the teen was accused of firing at both administrators before leaving the scene.
Austin Lyle quickly became the subject of a manhunt by Denver authorities. Officials told 9News Denver that his body was discovered near his 2005 Red Volvo XC90 at approximately 9 pm. They believe whatever wounds he exhibited were most likely self-inflicted.
Officials comment on the discovery of Austin Lyle's body
After Austin Lyle's body was recovered, authorities lifted a shelter-in-place order that had been placed to ensure that civilians of the surrounding areas remained safe during the manhunt.
Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw said that the order could have lasted for multiple days if Austin Lyle wasn't found. He said:
"(People)should feel relieved that we came up here and solved the problem and that we don't have to wait until tomorrow morning or the next few days."
McGraw said that authorities deemed the order necessary because of Austin Lyle's history of volatile behavior. The teen was transferred to Denver after exhibiting behavioral issues at his last school. After administrators began to feel he may be capable of perpetrating violence, they began to search him for arms in the mornings.
During the search, Mayor Michael Hancock had described the teen as armed, dangerous, and willing to use his firearm. He said:
“We are looking for the suspect. We will find that suspect, and we will hold that suspect accountable for his actions this morning in placing everyone in danger and certainly wounding the two staff members who were doing their job and trying to keep everyone safe at the time.”
While the search for Lyle began in the Denver Metropolitan area, it soon expanded to other parts of Colorado. The teen's official cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Denver East high school responds to the incident of gun violence
As per the Gun Violence Archive, the incident marks the 18th shooting which led to injury or death in an American elementary or secondary school this year.
In the aftermath of the situation, Denver East High School canceled all classes for the week. They also noted that two armed officers will guard the school for the rest of the year.
