hostage crisis canyon high school hostage crisis incident hostage taking shooting occurred bailey colorado september year old took female students hostage sexually assaulted later releasing police broke open classroom door explosives morrison opened fire pistol shooting hostage emily head remaining hostages escaped unharmed confirmed morrison committed suicide shortly police able enter classroom pronounced dead utc denver colorado undergoing emergency surgery details entry hostage taking note times mountain daylight time morrison entered school carrying caliber pistol caliber revolver wasn incident claimed contained pounds search later recovered tape knives gun rope oil sex toys numerous rounds ammunition explosives sixteen year old student named reportedly saw morrison entering school time specified police stated walking past vacant classroom saw man inside wearing apparently angry report incident school office students reported witnessed morrison sitting yellow school parking lot hour entered school morrison believed living car camping near bailey videos taken security cameras outside morrison minutes students classes changed minutes siege began earlier morrison spoken male high school student day asked identity list female students morrison entered classroom second floor room teacher taught honors english smith asked classroom pulled ordered male students female students leave fired shot air smith tried speak smith male students left classroom morrison instructed seven remaining students stand facing later released student approximately law enforcement arrived scene sheriff son school building time incident informed media seven girls know degree year old sophomore seven hostages stated morrison lined girls facing sexually assaulted long stated knew hostages clothes elastic snapped opened closed sexual assaults morrison reportedly held gun hostages heads threatened kill cooperate according hostage released morrison systematically individual hostages interior classroom sexually assaulting negotiations evacuations code white alert sounded students instructed remain classrooms negotiations morrison began goal allowing remaining hostages room released initially directly spoke deputies hallway holding hostages gunpoint later spoke telephone student hostages want speak directly officials girls released hours heightened intensity indirect discussions morrison time year old junior emily remaining hostages managed send family brief text message stating love guys response text message father sent cell phone receiving word incident occurring high school father sent message received response total students nearby rapidly evacuated morrison demands unknown police confirmed primary concern request police away students hostages safely evacuated taken parents able gain little information authorities remained silent issue crisis continued shooting time student hostages released bomb squad team agents sent scene parked end zone high school football field mile stretch route closed approximately negotiations began stall morrison later explicitly stated stop negotiating said police chosen storm second floor classroom man ended negotiations stating happen team members witnessed morrison assaulting girls decision save hostages force stating later decision wait possibility having dead hostages act try save feared want position thing save lives police burst door approximately encountered morrison hostages far wall hostages human shields team morrison shot policemen emily trying run morrison shot critically wounded soon simultaneously shot police died scene taken helicopter hospital denver pronounced dead hostage survived physical injuries investigators found sign explosives man additional firearms recovered outside school campus assault rifle found clearing adjacent river mile north school bolt action rifle found north campus near route caliber revolver found south school near hiking trail confirmed body morrison bullet wounds non fatal police fatal shot gun second floor classroom autopsy report later revealed morrison suffered gunshot wounds head including fatal fired gun additional right shoulder wound right hand emily died single gunshot wound right head district officials stated high school closed september september counseling center set local church open students july september eventually identified incident unemployed time hostage crisis known connection hostages initial reports described year old man camouflage black morrison imprisoned possession marijuana arrested separate occasion police colorado police announced suicide letter written morrison family member analyzed fbi morrison family gave letter police submitted document fbi unit virginia page letter morrison claimed mentally physically abused father child thoughts years old august month prior shooting pleaded guilty harassment leaving voice message local november receiving promotional catalog mail message contained threat visit headquarters assault rifle prior similar threatening investigation found morrison purchased motorcycle extremely dissatisfied receiving certain accessories services promised contract reportedly attempt resolve dispute suicide letter later mentioned purchase claimed matter wasn morrison filed report claiming firearms stolen residence later gained fictitious insurance claim initiated stolen firearms report firearms mentioned report recovered school campus whereabouts remaining firearms currently remain unknown aftermath canyon high school reopened week shooting october memorials erected highway leading school carried messages strong random acts kindness number students prayed school day began students given donated bears left present day students superintendent noted high school students absent service emily held september day governor later declared emily day took canyon ride occurred memory victims procession long arrived final departed riding alongside efforts initiated increased school security come years massacre federal state funding safety cut favor higher test scores increase communication law enforcement evident canyon high school shooting noted vast majority school districts totally absorbed academic requirements aren spending lot time resources issue october investigators conducted interviews found pieces evidence related case investigating shooting pennsylvania occurred days shooting bailey result september incident increased security leaving school entrance unlocked plans install security cameras proposed having guard school day stated particular suggestion outside current budget
Platte Canyon High School hostage crisis