The district attorney for Teller and El Paso counties will review whether a security guard accused of firing at deputies responding to the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch should face criminal charges.
Dan May, 4th Judicial District Attorney, has taken over the investigation of the security guard’s action, 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said Wednesday. Brauchler declined to confirm reports that the security guard fired at the deputies but said that it would be inappropriate for his office to investigate because the guard is a witness in the cases against the two teens charged with the May 7 shooting. One student died in the school and eight others were injured.
“I’m not going to go into the basis of it,” Brauchler said.
The Colorado District Attorneys’ Council pairs judicial districts for special prosecutor appointments, Brauchler said. A judge did not need to approve the appointment because there is no criminal case filed.
Investigators are looking into whether security guard, who has not been publicly named, fired at the deputies and injured a student in the process. The guard’s attorney, Robert Burk, previously said that he didn’t believe the guard injured anybody.
The guard’s employer, Grant Whitus of BOSS High Level Protection, said last week he had not heard about friendly fire during the incident. Whitus said the security guard worked as a Marine for four years and previously worked as a deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The security guard started working for STEM School in the fall after a dispute between the school and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office left the school without a school resource officer.
