Platte Canyon

Bailey gunman fixated on porn, guns:
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has released their final report on the shooting at Platte Canyon High School. It turns out that gunman Duane Morrison was more disturbed than anyone ever thought.

The basics are that Morrison was alleged to have been abused by his father who told him that Morrison's birth was due to an affair. Morrison was allegedly obsessed with pornography and phone sex running up huge phone bills. More than likely because of the phone bills he was sought after by bill collectors.

He told a girlfriend he was impotent due to medications but asked her to go to a strip club and porno store with him.

Morrison allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl who worked for the Morrison family's haunted house. The teen denies the allegations.

After the siege at Platte Canyon there were sexual devices found in Morrison's backpack.

Even at the age of 53 Morrison was in fear of his father due to the alleged abuse he suffered.

Morrison also had an obsession with guns. One of the guns that he used at Platte Canyon High he claimed was stolen so he could collect insurance money.

Now before anyone starts feeling sorry for this assclown don't. He brought all his issues upon himself. There comes a time in a man's life that he needs to stop living in fear of his father and 53 is way past that time.

Emily Keyes is dead and other girls were molested because this selfish scumbag couldn't handle life's responsibilities.

He'll get no sympathy here and he shouldn't get it anywhere else.

Keyes’ organ donation legacy gets signed into law:
The governor of Colorado signed a bill into law yesterday that extended the states organ donation project another 10 years. The law also named the program the Emily Keyes Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Fund after the only fatal victim in the Platte Canyon High School shooting. According to the article her donated corneas restored the sight of a man in my own state of North Carolina.

At least something good was able to come out of a pointless tragedy.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation's report on the Platte Canyon High School hostage crisis and shooting can be viewed or downloaded here. (.pdf file)

It's just basically a more detailed description of what we already knew. That this was a random act of destruction carried out by a sick individual.

Keyes family statement regarding CBI report on the Platte Canyon High School shooting:
The parents of Emily Keyes, the lone victim fatality in the Platte-Canyon High School siege, have released a statement about the CBI's report on how the police handled the situation. Normally I don't like to post whole articles but this is something that needs to be read and if the Rocky Mountain News page expires I'd think it should be out in the public longer.

For some it may be difficult to accept. The right actions at the right time by the right people may not have the right outcome. When what we hoped for didn't happen, some may want to find fault. But there is no fault to be found in the command decisions made given the information and behavior presented. There is no fault to be found in the courage and speed of their response.

From our family, there is only respect. Our review of the CBI report confirms this belief.

Tonight our family met with Sheriff Fred Wegner, agents of the CBI and other officials to review the summary report, being released tomorrow, March 27th, regarding the events of September 27th.

Our family read the summary and viewed other materials being released.

A tough read: but still reaffirming.

Law enforcement and school administration did all of the right things.

Law enforcement response, not just to the school — but to the classroom — was around 3 minutes from the first 911 call.

The kids at the school were on top of things also. Several were on their way to the office to report a stranger in their midst, before the first shot was fired.

There were seven heroes in that room. And a coward with a gun. The Awesome Six are still with us. Please respect their grace, beauty and privacy as these young women continue with their lives. It is OK to let some details of that day fade.

In the months since Emily was killed, some extraordinary good has occurred. And that is Emily's legacy. Random and Deliberate Acts of Kindness continue to occur. The community of Bailey is a little more tight knit. And sometimes it feels like our town lines extend shore to shore.

When we remember September 27th, it's the text message Emily sent: "I love u guys." It is our hope that's the message you remember as well.

We ask the Press that, if possible, during the upcoming coverage of this report you don't highlight the actions of a deranged gunman. His name doesn't need to be mentioned; it is there enough in the report.

The best people did the best of things. The outcome could have been far more grave. We as a family know this and appreciate this.

Real life doesn't always have a happy ending.

John-Michael, Ellen and Casey Keyes

The CBI report should be out later today.

Platte Canyon High shooting report due:
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation's report on the Platte Canyon High School shooting will be released by the Park County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday March 27th. If you remember 53-year-old drifter Duane Morrison stormed the school taking seven female students hostage sexually molesting some of them. Emily Keyes was shot and killed by Morrison when SWAT attempted to save the victims. Morrison then killed himself.

"By law, we are forbidden from releasing the identities of juveniles as well as any information that could identify the victims of sexual assault," Wegener said in a prepared statement. "We are busily sifting through the massive amount of details to eliminate the restricted information for the protection of those individuals and their families."

The report will be available on the Park County website Tuesday morning.The families of the victims will get to see it beforehand.

Timeline Shows Gunman Cased School Before Shooting:
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation have established a timeline of Duane Morrison's activities prior to him storming Platte Canyon High School and eventually killing Emily Keyes and himself…

It was around 11:30 a.m. the day before Duane Morrison shot and killed Emily Keyes and himself when he was first recorded at the school.

His jeep was spotted in the upper administration parking lot leaving about a half hour later at noon.

The next day, September 27, the tape showed that Morrison arrived in the upper administration parking lot at 8:42 a.m. and left 2 minutes later at 8:44 a.m.

The camera then showed his car parked in the student lot at 8:46 a.m.

Morrison then apparently left the area for about an hour. At 8:57a.m., the camera showed his car gone from parking space but at 9:44 a.m., Morrison's car was back in same spot.

One hour and 9 minutes later, the camera would catch the gunman leaving his jeep and mixing in with students returning to class. At 10:53 a.m., Morrison was seen on the video exiting the vehicle.

Not until 48 minutes later does the first call come from the school at 11:40. Less than 3 minutes later the first deputy arrived at Platte Canyon High School.

About 4 hours later, SWAT team members burst into the classroom where Morrison opened fire on hostage Emily Keyes.

"The single gunshot wound Emily sustained was caused by Morrison," said Steve Johnson from the CBI.

This quote sums up the entire incident…

The timeline may help answer the question "how" but the "why" is still unanswered.

And we may never know why.

Castillo autopsy fills in details of killing:
The autopsy of Rafael Huezo Castillo, the father of North Carolina shooter Alvaro Castillo, has been released…

CHAPEL HILL -- Rafael Huezo Castillo, who was allegedly shot by his son, Alvaro Castillo, died of multiple gunshot wounds to his head and neck, according to an autopsy report.

The autopsy report, released Wednesday by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, also states that multiple notes were left in the house in which Alvaro Castillo took credit for the shootings.

The autopsy report reveals that Rafael Castillo was sitting on the couch in a pair of boxer shorts and a white T-shirt between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., when his son allegedly began firing at him with a 9 mm rifle. An investigator at the sheriff's office said it appeared the elder Castillo was reading a newspaper at the time of the shooting.

One shot hit Rafael Castillo on top of his left shoulder, and five shots hit him in the left side of his face. One shot struck him in his left ear and then entered his skull. The tracks of the wounds were from left to right and slightly back to front in a downward direction, the report said. No powder residue was present on the skin around any of the wounds.

The bullets caused multiple skull fractures, massive disruption to the brain and destroyed the brainstem, the report said.

So Alvaro Castillo fired at his father from a distance and Rafael Castillo never even saw it coming. Alvaro Castillo is just another coward in a long line of cowardly killers.

Autopsy: Bailey gunman shot 4 times:
Some details of Duane Morrison's autopsy were also released. Morrison was the gunman at Platte Canyon High school in Bailey, Colorado who took six girls hostage, sexually assaulted some, and shot and killed Emily Keyes before shooting himself.

Morrison had no drugs in his system, prescription or otherwise, nor any alcohol.

Four bullets were found in him. Three from SWAT and one from himself. It's unknown at this time which one killed him.

The complete autopsies of Morrison and his victim Emiliy Keyes are not being released to the public.

Gunman possibly seen earlier:
Police seem to think that Platte Canyon High gunman, Duane Morrison, staked out the school prior to his attack…

BAILEY - The gunman who terrorized Platte Canyon High School on Wednesday, killing a 16-year-old hostage, may have been trolling the school parking lot as many as 24 hours before the rampage began, two law enforcement officials said Sunday.

Investigators have a "strong suspicion" Duane Morrison was in the parking lot Tuesday, one of the sources said. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

As usual in these situations people are trying to lay blame. Is the school safe? How did this happen? I think people are overanalyzing the situation. This was a freak occurrence by an insane man. The people of Bailey should not be beating themselves up over this.

Just geeting everyone up to date on the siege at Platte Canyon High School that left the gunman and one hostage dead...

US school gunman 'abused' girls:

"He did traumatise and assault our children - I'll only say that it's sexual in nature," the sheriff said.

So not only was he a coward he was also a pervert.

Update: Gunman at school identified:

The gunman who held hostages and shot and killed Platte Canyon High School student Emily Keyes before killing himself Wednesday has been identified as a 53-year-old transient named Duane Morrison.

The gunman shot Keyes once in the back of the head as she was fleeing from him after SWAT team members stormed the classroom where Morrison had barricaded himself, said Joe Morales, executive director for the Colorado Department of Public Safety. Then the gunman shot himself, he said.

"We firmly believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that the suspect was responsible for the death of the child," Morales said.

Morales said the gunman had been living in his car and had a minor criminal record.

'I love U guys,' school victim messaged before slaying:

BAILEY, Colo. – As the hours dragged by and the gunman inside Platte Canyon High School released four hostages one by one, standing among the desperate parents was John Keyes, wondering about the fate of his 16-year-old daughter, Emily.

Louis Gonzalez, a spokesman for the family, said the father had just bought Emily and her twin brother cell phones for their 16th birthdays. As he stood near the school, he searched for a volunteer to send a text message to Emily.

"How are U?" it asked.

At 1:52 p.m., Emily messaged back: "I love U guys."

Less than two hours later, Emily was dying from a gunshot wound to the back of her head delivered by the suicidal gunman as authorities stormed into the classroom. He died at the school and she was declared dead at a Denver hospital.

Colorado Gunman Sexually Assaulted Some Girls:

(CBS News) BAILEY, Colo. The gunman who killed a student and committed suicide during a high school standoff methodically selected six girls as hostages -- apparently favoring blondes -- and sexually assaulted at least some of them, authorities and witnesses said Thursday.

Sheriff Fred Wegener said the assaults went beyond touching or fondling.

"It was pretty horrific," Wegener said, without elaborating.

Shooter was living out of Jeep:

Guns and mountains.
In the end, Duane Roger Morrison would combine both his passions - with horrific results.

The 53-year-old gunman invaded Platte Canyon High School on Wednesday, taking six female students hostage and ultimately murdering 16-year-old Emily Keyes before turning one of two guns on himself as SWAT officers stormed a classroom he turned into his bunker.

Morrison's four hours of sudden and seemingly random violence ended his life, which had been devoid of a significant criminal history, although he was accused two years ago of threatening to settle a score with an assault rifle.

"I was very shocked and surprised" to learn of Morrison's rampage, former neighbor Keith Hoagland said Thursday.

"He was kind of a quiet guy, and he pretty much kept to himself."

Park County sheriff's investigators have concluded that for a period of time immediately leading up to Wednesday's rampage, Morrison had been living out of his vehicle.

On Nov. 22, 2004, Morrison allegedly called Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson in Littleton, according to court records, in an agitated state and complained about having received one of the business's catalogs in the mail.

In a message left on the firm's voice mail, Morrison "threatened to come to the store with an assault rifle to see if that would fix the situation," according to court records.

Morrison reportedly had made earlier harassing calls, stemming from a complaint he had over service he'd received there.

"We took it seriously enough that we called the Littleton police, and they took it seriously, too," store general manager Jay Seibel said.

Morrison was charged with harassment and subsequently was named in a fugitive warrant after failing to appear for a court date.

This past summer, on July 11, he was arrested on that warrant by Lakewood police at the Stonewall Motel on West Colfax Avenue and charged with obstructing justice for his failure to show up in court to respond to the harassment charge.

According to Littleton Municipal Court clerk Pat Spindler, Morrison pleaded guilty on Aug. 15, received a suspended nine-day jail term and was ordered not to return to Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson.

Colo. school gunman wrote of suicide in letter:

BAILEY, Colo. - The gunman who took six girls hostage in a high school classroom, killing one of them before taking his own life, sent his brother a long, rambling letter warning of his impending death, investigators said Friday.

“This is not a suicide note or a diary,” Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said. “However, many times, the letter references suicide. This letter clearly acknowledges his pending death.

“It also apologizes to his family for his actions that will occur.”

The 14-page letter contains no reference to Platte Canyon High School or any school, nor is there a time reference, authorities said, leaving investigators without any known connection between Duane Morrison and this mountain town 35 miles southwest of Denver.

Morrison molested all six girls and sexually assaulted at least two of them before SWAT teams stormed into the classroom. During a gun battle with police, Morrison shot a 16-year-old girl in the head and fired at authorities, then killed himself.

Wegener earlier said that officials are checking a rumor that Morrison might have targeted his victims via the Web site myspace.com and looking at the pages for students at Platte Canyon High School.

Wegener on Thursday said Morrison might have had a list of victims.

“A male high school student was approached by a suspect (Wednesday) and asked about the identity of a list of female students,” Wegener said, later adding that he wasn’t sure if it was a written list or names rattled off by Morrison.

It was not disclosed whether the list included 16-year-old Emily Keyes, whom Morrison shot in the head as a SWAT team broke through the classroom door in a rescue attempt.

Thanks to Elessarion and Andrew for their help and tips.

Gunman, hostage die:
Some additional details have emereged about the siege at Platte Canyon High School in Colorado that left the gunman and a hostage dead…

Authorities did not release the name of the victim, but friends of the family said she was 16-year-old Emily Keyes. Lynn Bigham, a friend of the victim's, described Emily as "sweet and affectionate."

The man, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and carrying a backpack, entered the school at 11:40 a.m., apparently looking for someone specific, according to witnesses, although police would not confirm that.

He entered Sandra Smith's honors English class and fired a shot in the air, then told all the students to stand facing the chalkboard, said Tom Grigg, whose son, Cassidy, was in the classroom.

Then, the gunman approached each boy in the class and told them to get out.

"A guy came up and pointed a gun at (Cassidy) and told him to leave," Grigg said. "He said, 'No, I want to stay with the girls,' and the guy put the gun in his face and said, 'You. Out of here."'

Police would not say whether the gunman sexually assaulted any of the girls. But Grigg said his son told him, "There were some really bad things that happened in that classroom." He did not elaborate.

The gunman had shielded himself with one of the two girls, the sheriff said. He declined to say whether deputies fired any shots in the classroom.

As usual the guy with the gun is a coward.

Gunman, hostage dead after high school siege:
The female teenage hostage at the Platte Canyon High School siege has died from her injuries…

A girl who was shot by the gunman died about 4:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. ET) at the hospital after a helicopter transported her there, said Bev Lilly, a spokeswoman for St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver.

Police said earlier they believed the girl was 16. She was shot as police stormed the room where the gunman was holding hostages, police said. The gunman then shot himself.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of the victim.

Hostage situation over:
The hostage situation at Platte Canyon High School in Colorado has ended. One student was critically injured and the adult gunman took his own life…

The gunman was cornered with the girls in a second-floor classroom and he released four of them, one by one. Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said authorities decided to enter the school after the man cut off negotiations and set a 4 p.m. deadline. At the time, he was still holed up with two girls.

“It was then decided that a tactical solution needed to be done in an effort to save the two hostages,” the sheriff said, his voice breaking. “Entry was made. The suspect shot one of the hostages, then shot himself.”

The remaining hostage was unharmed and talking with authorities. The sheriff said the gunman threatened the girls virtually throughout the four-hour ordeal, at one point fired a shot within the classroom and shielded himself with his hostages.

The suspect was not identified and the sheriff was at a loss to explain a motive.

“I don’t know why he wanted to do this,” Wegener said.

Students described the suspect as a bearded man toting a camouflage backpack and the sheriff confirmed that: “He did have a backpack and said he would set it off.” The man was also toting a handgun.

Bailey School Hostage Situation Prompts Evacuation:

(CBS4) BAILEY, Colo. Platte Canyon High School in Bailey was evacuated early Wednesday afternoon because of a hostage situation with a gunman, Park County emergency dispatchers said.

Dispatchers said there was at least one hostage.

Jefferson County authorities said deputies, including the SWAT team and bomb squad, from their sheriff's office were on stand-by to assist if called by Park County authorities.

More as details are released.

Thanks to Soobs for the tip.