Karl Halverson Pierson, 18, the shooter at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo., was a member of his school's debate team, according to a Christian Science Monitor report.
The report said that Pierson had been a member of the school's debate team, but had been kicked off the team by Tracy Murphy, the school's debate coach, who also happens to be its librarian. Pierson was suspended after threatening Murphy.
John Hickenlooper called the incident and "unspeakable horror in a place of learning."
According to gathered information about the shooting event, Pierson entered the campus on Friday, December 14, with shotgun in hand. He had no intention to conceal the gun and shouted for Murphy. When Murphy learned he was the target, he left the school premises.
"[Murphy left] in an effort to try to encourage the shooter to also leave the school, Grayson Robinson, Arapahoe County Sheriff, told the Monitor. "That was a very wise tactical decision."
The next thing that followed was Pierson started firing several shots. He hit a 15 year-old female student who apparently Pierson was not targeting. The student is now being treated at a local hospital and reported to be in a critical condition.
Robinson confirmed they found two suspected Molotov bombs inside the campus and one of them was detonated. No injuries or casualties were reported.
Student reports suggest that Pierson might have been bullied several times and never fought back. Carl Schmidt, a fellow senior, told the Los Angeles Times that Pierson "was very outspoken and willing to contribute, and also that he had a controlled temper he would use during discussion."
In another report, Thomas Conrad, Pierson's economics classmate, said that Pierson was bullied. "A lot of people picked on him, but it didn't seem to bother him," Conrad told the Denver Post.
Frank Woronoff, another high school senior who had known Pierson since they were freshmen, told CNN he couldn't imagine Pierson doing something heinous.
"He was the last person I would expect to shoot up a high school. He was honestly incredibly humble and down to earth. He was a little geeky but in a charming way," Woronoff said.
After the gunshots were fired, police searched from where it came. They found Pierson dead after shooting himself.
© 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
