Bailey — A five-volume report of the state’s investigation of last year’s fatal Platte Canyon High School shooting was released to the public today.
The public has been invited by the Park County Sheriff’s Office to review the volumes, compiled by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, until 4 p.m. at the sheriff’s Bailey substation.
“There’s nothing new in here,” Sheriff Fred Wegener said of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation report. “This is just releasing to the public.”
In March, the CBI report was released to the media. It contains details of the Sept. 27 shooting in which 16-year-old Emily Keyes was killed. At the time, the Keyes family issued a statement in support of actions taken by law enforcement and school officials, saying they did “all the right things.”
“From a family perspective, it reinforces our conviction,” Emily Keyes’ mother, Ellen, said in an e-mail today.
“There is no fault to be found in the command decisions made, given the information and the behavior presented,” Ellen Keyes wrote. “There is no fault to be found on the courage and speed of their response. From our family, there is only respect.”
Keyes was one of six female high school students taken hostage by Duane Morrison, a 53-year-old drifter. Morrison threatened to blow up the school and sexually assaulted some of the hostages as the 460-student school was evacuated.
Morrison gradually released all but two of his hostages. Four hours into the standoff, SWAT officers stormed the second-floor classroom where he was holed up. Morrison shot Keyes and then himself. Officers shot Morrison three times.
Wegener said the report’s release to the public “probably won’t have a whole lot of impact.” The community and surviving hostages are doing “pretty good,” he said. “But the anniversary is coming up, and things will come up.”
Sheriff’s Detective Amy Franck, who handled the release, said only media outlets have picked up CDs containing the report and didn’t anticipate that many residents would buy copies or come in to review the plastic-covered, three-ringed volumes.
Some residents may, Franck said, “because there are lingering questions. I have questions too, but they are questions that will never have answers.”
Franck said the Keyes family was notified of the public release. “They already have the report,” she said. “Ellen said she didn’t want to look at the last volume.”
“I’m not interested,” said resident Michael Bilcher. “I don’t need to know. I know too much about it already.”
The fifth volume contains graphic photos of the disheveled classroom and of Morrison. There are no photos of Emily Keyes in the report. The Denver Post has chosen not to use the graphic photos in its coverage.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
