Ralston Valley [e]Xpress Newspaper

This afternoon, Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton experienced tragedy.

A man in his 20s or 30s approached the school just as students were being let out of classes and shot two students. One has been identified as Regan Weber, a seventh grade student at the school. The other is a male eighth grader who has yet to be identified. Both students were transfered to Littleton Hospital.

Before the shooter (who has yet to be identified) could fire a third shot, math teacher Dr. David Benke tackled him. The suspect was disarmed and taken into custody by school teachers and administrators before Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies could arrive on the scene.

Students were transfered to nearby Stony Creek Elementary School, where parents could pick them up.

Coincidentally, Deer Creek is located just three miles from Columbine High School, which is, of course, the location of the devastating 1999 shooting that caused schools across the country, but especially within Jefferson County to take a serious look at student and teacher safety. Because of the tragedy 11 years ago, both Jefferson County Public Schools and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office are well equipped and prepared for similar events.

More information can be found online at http://jeffcopublicschools.org and on the district’s Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/jeffcoschoolsco