Denver Public Schools are closed Friday after a shooting at a high school this week, and the district is taking steps to bring back armed guards to campuses, officials say.
Friday’s mental health break, ahead of a weeklong spring break, is meant “to allow us all to take a moment to pause and process the challenging events this year,” including the shooting at East High School and a district data breach announced earlier this year, district superintendent Alex Marrero said in a statement. An East High student also was fatally shot this year, CNN affiliate KMGH reported, and the school last month got false threats of violence.
Wednesday morning’s shooting unfolded at East High as 17-year-old Austin Lyle was undergoing a required pat-down search, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said. Lyle was under a school safety plan that mandated he be searched upon entering the building, he said.
