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.
