Second STEM School shooter sentenced to life without parole for murder of Kendrick Castillo

Provided by Maria Castillo via Instagram

Kendrick Castillo

A justice successful Douglas County connected Friday handed down a mandatory condemnation of beingness without parole to the 2nd of 2 gunmen convicted successful the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting successful 2019 that claimed the beingness of 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo.

A assemblage successful June convicted Devon Erickson of astir 4 twelve charges, including 3 counts of first-degree felony execution for sidesplitting classmate Castillo. He was besides convicted of 31 attempted-murder charges, on with a assortment of lesser charges including arson, theft, possessing a limb connected schoolhouse grounds, transgression mischief, burglary, and reckless endangerment.

During the three-week trial, prosecutors utilized much than 60 witnesses to picture however Erickson and his co-conspirator, Alec McKinney, planned the horrific schoolhouse shooting successful beforehand — and past carried retired their ngo May 7, 2019.

McKinney pleaded blameworthy past twelvemonth to first-degree murder, on with much than a twelve different charges, and is currently serving a beingness sentence plus 38 years. Because helium was a insignificant astatine the time, McKinney is automatically eligible for parole successful 40 years.

Erickson’s proceedings was delayed respective times arsenic a effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, concluding much than 2 years aft the incidental that shook the portion and everlastingly altered the lives of hundreds of students.

The galore tribunal proceedings implicit the 2 years saw dozens of students, parents and teachers instrumentality the basal to picture the horrors of that May day: The panic of seeing classmates participate their elder English people with guns drawn. The panicked telephone calls from their children, not knowing if they’d marque it location that day.

May 7, 2019, besides showcased singular heroism from teenagers hardly aged capable to ballot — Joshua Jones and Brendan Bialy bolting from their seats to assistance Castillo instrumentality down a shooter earlier helium could bash much harm. Lauren Harper, an English teacher, and IT manager Mike Pritchard risked their ain lives to disarm the different gunman.

Those successful the schoolhouse that time talked astir their struggles to header successful the aftermath — the intelligence toll it has taken to determination connected with their lives and instrumentality to immoderate consciousness of normalcy.