A Colorado teen hell-bent on confronting his former debate team coach stormed his high school and shot and wounded a female student before killing himself — just eight miles from Columbine and on the eve of the Newtown massacre’s first anniversary.
The shotgun-toting teen stalked into Arapahoe HS in Centennial at around 12:30 p.m. local time — hunting for the coach, whom he angrily called out by name, said Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
“The [staffer] exited the school immediately. It was a very good tactical decision to try to take the student with him,” Robinson said.
School janitor Fabian Llerenas said the gunman was running toward the library yelling, “Where’s Murphy? Where’s Murphy!” referring to librarian and debate team coach Tracy Murphy, NBC reported.
Cops identified the gunman as Karl Halverson Pierson, 18, and a classmate said Pierson was furious he’d been dropped from the debate team after a dispute with Murphy.
Joe Redmond, 18, one of three co-captains on the team, said Pierson was kicked off the team and suspended from school in September for a few weeks after threatening Murphy.
“When he came back, he was really, really angry,” Redmond told The Los Angeles Times.
Pierson said he hated Murphy, adding, “Apparently you get suspended for threatening to kill a teacher,” according to Redmond, who said he “broke down in tears” when he learned about the shootings.
Llerenas said he heard two pops. “That’s when I knew. I said, ‘They’re shooting in the school,’ ” and he quickly called 911.
The wounded student — a 17-year-old girl — was in critical condition undergoing surgery at a local hospital. Cops initially said a second student was shot, but later said only one had been wounded.
Pierson was found in a classroom dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after the shooting began, Robinson said.
Cops also found two Molotov cocktails, Robinson said, and one had been ignited.
Hundreds of terrified students ran for their lives when the gunfire erupted, and were patted down by cops as they left the building with their arms raised.
Others huddled fearfully in their classrooms.
Sophomore Will Torres was in phys-ed class when he heard two blasts. His teacher slammed shut the door to the weight room and ordered students to hit the floor.
“My heart started sinking,” Torres told the Denver Post. “I thought about my family and other school shootings. Some kids were crying. I was so scared.”
Panicked parents with still-vivid memories of the 1999 bloodbath at nearby Columbine HS — in which two teenage psychos killed a dozen classmates and a teacher before killing themselves — rushed to Arapahoe.
Christina Long stood outside in tears, waiting for news about her son, Dylan, a 16-year-old junior..“He’ll call me when he’s safe. I’m going to let him hide,” she said.
A few minutes later, she got a call and broke down in tears.
“Oh Baby! OK. OK. He’s OK!” she said, bent over with emotion.
Additional reporting by S.A. Miller