East High School student Luis Garcia dies weeks after shooting
After more than two weeks of fighting to survive a shooting, East High School student Luis Garcia died on Wednesday. Garcia, 16, was shot on Feb. 13.
The shooting forced the lockdown of students at East High School in Denver and the closure of the intersection of City Park Esplanade and 17th Avenue.
Police say someone shot from a car and into the car Garcia was in. The car has at least two bullet holes in the windshield.
Officers say they found the alleged suspects and their car, a white KIA Sportage about two hours after the shooting in Denver's Park Hill neighborhood. Two suspects were taken into custody and questioned.
At the time, police believed the KIA was stolen.
The shooting has sparked a movement among students at the school to initiate a conversation with community leaders, school administration and police about safety and gun violence. A planned forum for Wednesday afternoon was postponed.
East High School sent a statement to students, parents and caregivers that read, in part, This is a difficult loss for our school community, and our hearts are with the family during this difficult time. Luis was not only an excellent soccer player, he was also an excellent student. Our students and educators have shared how Luis' passion for soccer, along with the dedication he shared amongst his family, friends, and teammates, inspired the teachers, staff, coaches and students who knew him.
This terrible loss is being felt throughout the entire East community. We recognize that individuals may be uncertain of how to feel about loss in our community and may require support with processing such information. We are ensuring that our students and staff have access to grief counselors to help during this very difficult time. These counselors will be available throughout the week and as needed in the future.
