Key takeaways:
- Denver Public Schools (DPS) announced a mental health day in response to a shooting at East High School earlier this week.
- Austin Lyle, 17, shot two faculty members before fatally shooting himself. He had been on probation for a weapons charge and had been expelled from Overland High School in Aurora, Colorado.
- The district is hoping that the mental health day will give students and employees a chance to process the events of the past week, as well as the data breach that occurred earlier this year.
Denver Public Schools (DPS) announced Thursday that they will be closed Friday for a mental health day, following a shooting at East High School earlier this week. The district superintendent, Alex Marrero, said in a statement that the day is intended “to allow us all to take a moment to pause and process the challenging events this year,” including the shooting and a data breach announced earlier this year.
The shooting occurred Wednesday morning as Austin Lyle, 17, was undergoing a required pat down search. Lyle, a student at East High School, shot two faculty members before later fatally shooting himself. It was later revealed that Lyle had been on probation for a weapons charge, and had been expelled from Overland High School in Aurora, Colorado shortly before the shooting.
Classmates at Overland High School had flagged posts about guns on Lyle’s social media, prompting police to visit his parents’ home. Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said that the shooting was “a tragedy that could have been much worse.”
The district is hoping that the mental health day will give students and employees a chance to process the events of the past week, as well as the data breach that occurred earlier this year. The district has not yet announced any plans for the day, but Marrero said that “we will be providing resources and support for our students and staff.”
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