Yesterday (March 22) evening, the body of 17-year-old Austin Lyle was discovered in a wooded area in Colorado. The Denver student was a suspect in a school shooting that morning where two staff members were injured.
During a news conference, Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw announced he was “relieved” residents no longer had to shelter-in-place. Lyle attended East High School, according to Denver police. Chief Ron Thomas noted the teen was required to be checked for weapons as part of a school safety plan. The searches would happen in an administrative area away from other students before he went to class. Thomas did not elaborate on why Lyle was subjected to the screening.
🔥Breaking-Denver Police Release Photo Of #EastHighSchool Shooting Suspect, Still On The Run.
Austin Lyle shot & wounded 2 school administrators at East High School in Denver.
Lyle was under a school “safety agreement” (i.e.patted down each day) due to past behavior incidents. pic.twitter.com/aQeoxYHFc2
— CeCe ✞🇺🇸 🌴🦩 (@Ohio_buckeye_us) March 22, 2023
Of the two reported staff injuries, one person is in critical condition, and the other suffered serious injuries but is in stable condition. After the victims were wounded, Lyle fled the scene, and a manhunt lasted for hours, according to CNN. Officials did not reveal how the student died nor did they say if a firearm was near his body. A Jefferson County SWAT team located the deceased about four hours after his red Volvo SUV was spotted at approximately 4:30 p.m. Lyle’s body was recovered about 1,000 feet from the vehicle.
“The Park County Coroner’s Office will be continuing to conduct a death investigation and will have no further details after an autopsy is completed,” the agency said in a statement. Yesterday, Denver Public Schools superintendent Alex Marrero said, “Today was my fourth visit to Denver Health’s Intensive Care Unit due to victims of gun violence. These events should not have happened on my watch or on this board’s watch. It is a sad and tragic day for East High School, Denver Public Schools, and our entire Denver community.” He will now require two armed members of the Denver Police Department to stand guard at the school during normal operating hours in light of the shooting.