Slapstick Politics: Gunman Takes Hostages At Colorado High School, Claims To Have Bomb

September 27, 2006

Gunman Takes Hostages At Colorado High School, Claims To Have Bomb

**Update (4:15MDT) via 9NEWS:
--hostage situation over
--gunman dead, shot by SWAT
--began with 6 hostages
--one female student wounded

One female student in critical condition

**Update (3:53MDT) via 9NEWS:
--2 female hostages, 1 ok, 1 critical condition (shot?, on flight for life)
--gunman in custody, fired shot, explosive device detonated

**Update (2:04MDT):
--down to two hostages?
--gunman is adult, not student
--hostages appear to be students, evacuated students proceeding calmly

Breaking:

BAILEY - The Department of Public Safety confirmed to 9NEWS that a gunman, claiming to have an explosive device, has taken at least four hostages in Platte Canyon High School.

Around noon, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department sent its bomb squad and its SWAT unit to the school after reports of possible gun fire inside the school. Park County requested assistance from Jefferson County assistance.

Park County Sheriff's Department has confirmed there is one man, with a gun, inside the school. He has claimed to have a bomb. They have also confirmed he has a female hostage. They are also reporting that there are no known injuries at this point.

Reportedly the Park County Sheriff says they received a 911 call from the man inside the school telling them he had the hostage. Law enforcement officers are moving through the evacuated buildings searching for any people left inside and trying to assess the situation.

Platte Canyon High School has been evacuated and both sides of highway 285 have been closed to facilitate the evacuations between mile markers 218 and 222.