Teen Who Allegedly Opened Fire on Denver-Area School Charged with Murder and Arson

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The 18-year-old accused of opening fire on his classmates at a Denver-area school — just miles away from Columbine High School — has been charged with 48 criminal offenses, including first-degree murder, arson, and theft.

Police said that Devon Erickson, 18, and Alec McKinney, 16, left one dead and eight others injured during their assault on the STEM High School in Douglas County on May 8. The shooting, which started at around 2 p.m. local time, lasted about 14 minutes. Students described how one of the shooters walked into their British Literature class late and pulled out a gun.

All the wounded students have since been released from the hospital.

Police haven’t officially said where or how the suspects got the two handguns they allegedly used in the shooting. But a local ABC News affiliate, citing unnamed police sources, reported that they broke into a locked gun storage cabinet belonging to Erickson’s parents and stole the weapons inside.

The suspects also spray-painted “fuck society” and “666” on their parents’ car before attempting to set it on fire, according to the ABC affiliate.

District Attorney George Brauchler was also expected to announce whether he will charge McKinney as an adult or as a juvenile. McKinney was listed as “Maya Elizabeth McKinley,” but his lawyer says that he uses male pronouns and goes by “Alec.”

During the hearing, thousands of people gathered at the Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch to honor the memory of 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo, who died after charging one of the alleged shooters to protect his classmates. He was just three days away from graduating.

Cover image: Devon Erickson, an accused STEM School shooter, appears at the Douglas County Courthouse in Castle Rock, Colo., Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post via AP, Pool)