Victim In Shooting Outside Sheridan High School Undergoes Surgery
SHERIDAN, Colo. (CBS4) - The victim in a shooting in the parking lot of Sheridan High School has undergone surgery and he is in stable condition. That's according to Sheridan police, who say the shooter and victim were yelling at each other on Tuesday evening before the shooter pulled out a gun and fired.
The victim is a student at JFK High School.
The crime prompted Sheridan School District to cancel school on Wednesday across the district.
The suspect has yet to be brought under arrested in the case, but police say they have identified that person. On Tuesday night they described both the shooter and victim as juveniles.
"It was very scary. I know most of these people. It's scary and sad," said Leticia Salazar, who was at the game.
A volleyball game between Sheridan High School and Bruce Randolph School was taking place in the gym when the shooting happened. Alexis Gulick was watching her cousin play and told CBS4 she was about to leave the gym when she heard the sound of gunshots.
"This teenage girl, I feel like she saved our lives because she opened the door saying that everyone's running and people are getting shot and to go back inside," said Gulick. "If she didn't tell us that, something could have happened to (us)."
The high school was placed on lockdown while officers investigated the shooting. Families were eventually released while investigators questioned 20 to 30 witnesses.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Sheridan Police Department at (303) 762-2211.
The principal of JFK High School sent home the following letter to parents and families:
Dear John F. Kennedy High School Families,
We are committed to letting you know about incidents that affect our school and the community. Last night, we learned that one of our students was shot and injured outside of Sheridan High School. The student is in stable condition. We are in close communication with the student's family, and ask you to please respect their privacy during this time. The Sheridan Police Department is investigating. For precautionary reasons, JFK and the surrounding schools continue to have an increased Denver police and DPS Department of Safety presence today to support our students and our school community. Law enforcement tell us that they do not believe that there is a threat to our school or our community. School will continue to proceed as normal. Throughout the day, our mental health team has been available to provide our students the time and space needed to process this event. This support will continue as long as necessary.
We want to emphasize that if your child ever wants to make a report about something they have heard or seen, they can always speak to a teacher or school leader. They can also anonymously contact Safe-2-Tell via Safe2Tell App (https://safe2tell.org/mobileapp), the website (https://safe2tell.org/), and/or phone 1-877-542-7233.
Safety is a top priority at JFK. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns, or if you or your student would like additional support. Thank you for your support and encouragement during this time.