Students returned to classes Monday at Deer Creek Middle School in Jefferson County, nearly one week after a gunman shot two students in an apparently random attack outside the school.
The school mostly kept to a normal schedule, except for an hour-long period to start the day called “connections,” where students, teachers and mental-health professionals had the chance to talk about the shooting last Tuesday that closed the school for the remainder of last week.
“Some wrote about it, some talked about it,” said Holly Anderson, a Jefferson County Schools community superintendent who oversees Deer Creek. “Some did more than others depending on what the kids needed.”
Lynn Setzer, a spokeswoman for the school district, said mental-health workers were assigned to each classroom throughout the day to provide assistance to students or teachers in dealing with the shootings.
“So they’ve got lots of support,” Setzer said.
Deer Creek Middle School was shaken when a gunman opened fire outside the school as students were leaving for the day. Two students were wounded and are now recovering. Two teachers and an administrator, led by math teacher David Benke, tackled the shooter and took the gun from him.
Police have arrested Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood, 32, in connection with the case.
Setzer said the school will be on a regular schedule today for all periods, and she noted that Benke had told students to start expecting homework.
The school has notified parents that sheriff’s deputies plan to continue interviewing students as part of the investigation.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com
