In the wake of the Deer Creek Middle School shooting, CU students express their shock over the random act of violence and many cannot help but be reminded of the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School.
David Poor, a 21-year-old senior psychology major and alumnus of Deer Creek Middle School, said hearing of the shooting on Tuesday initially conjured up images of Columbine. However, he said he is relieved to hear that there were no casualties.
“I was shocked when I heard about the shooting, and at first I was afraid that it was as bad as Columbine,” Poor said. “I was really glad to hear that no one was immediately killed, and that the shooter had been stopped by a teacher before he could shoot more people.”
Earlier this week, gunman Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood, 32, opened fire in front of Deer Creek Middle School just after 3 p.m. before being tackled and disarmed by faculty, according to The New York Times.
Two adolescents, 13-year-old Reagan Weber and 14-year-old Matthew Thieu, were injured. Thieu is in good condition at The Children’s Hospital in Denver, according to 9NEWS.com, and Weber has returned home.
Breanne Taylor, a 21-year-old senior history major, attended Deer Creek as a child and said her family lives just one block away from the middle school.
“It is just shocking to know something so terrible can happen right in my backyard,” Taylor said. “I’m so thankful that more people weren’t injured and that the students who were shot only suffered non-life-threatening injuries.”
James Bailey, a 21-year-old senior computer science major and also a Deer Creek alumnus, said he has friends and family who live near the school. He said he was troubled by this incident, but thankful that the two children survived.
“We’re all rather shaken by this, but life goes on,” Bailey said. “This guy clearly had some serious issues, but he was caught and nobody was killed. I call that a win.”
Students further-removed from the incident said they were also impacted by it.
Katherine Cassin, a 21-year-old junior political science major, said she is troubled by the senseless crime, and saddened by how young the students are.
“I think it’s especially sad that it happened at a middle school, and that some man just showed up and randomly started shooting,” Cassin said.
Suzanne Larson, a 21-year-old junior political science major, said she feels for CU students who have siblings at Deer Creek Middle School.
“I think it must be scary for students here who have siblings that go to the middle school,” Larson said.
Deer Creek reopened Friday to give students the opportunity to pick up personal belongings and speak with counselors. Classes will continue at the middle school on Monday.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jennifer DeFalco at Jennifer.defalco@colorado.edu.
