Aspiring Marine and two classmates tackled one of the Denver high school shooters when they pulled a gun - but one was fatally shot in the take down
- Senior Brendan Bialy, Kendrick Castillo and another friend tackled one of the two Denver high school shooters on Tuesday
- The shooters entered a classroom at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Denver and one pulled a gun from a guitar case and opened fire
- The three jumped into action, but Castillo, 18, was shot and killed in the scuffle
- The boys were able to successfully disarm the shooter
- Shots were fired at the school around 1.53pm, killing one and injuring eight
- The two suspect shooters - Devon Erickson, 18, and a juvenile female who is in the process of transitioning - are in police custody
- Shooting took place seven miles away from scene of 1999 Columbine massacre
- Police have not released a motive in the devastating attack
An aspiring Marine student and his friends are being hailed as heroes for tackling one of the two shooters that stormed their Colorado high school classroom - costing one of the brave students their life.
Brendan Bialy, a senior at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Denver who wants to join the Marine Corps, jumped into action along with two friends when one of the shooters - revealed as Devon Erickson, 18, and an unidentified juvenile female - pulled a gun on Tuesday afternoon.
One of the two brandished the weapon from a guitar case, ready to release a hail of bullets, when they were bombarded by the students.
Kendrick Castillo, 18, was shot in the chest as he lunged in front of the shooter, according to a classmate. The senior, who was set to graduate in three days, died from his wounds on Tuesday afternoon.
As the trio tackled the assailant, students frantically hid under their desks and ran to safety. Some tended to the wounded Castillo by putting pressure on his chest to stop the bleeding.
Brendan Bialy, an aspiring Marine and senior at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Denver, bravely tackled down the gunmen that stormed his classroom along with two other friends
Kendrick Castillo, 18, was shot in the chest as he bravely lunged in front of the shooter along with Bialy. The senior, who was set to graduate in three days, died from his wounds on Tuesday
Brad Bialy, Brendan's father, said his son and friends were able to subdue and disarm the shooter.
He told the New York Times 'his son and two friends tried to tackle the gunman but one of the boys was shot in the chest'.
Bialy says Brendan wants to join the Marine Corps after graduating.
The Douglas County sheriff said 'very heroic things took place' inside the school as the shooting unfolded.'
'We are deeply saddened for the victims, families, friends and community on this tragic day,' the Bialy family said in an emailed statement issued by lawyer Mark L. Bryant.
'We'd like to commend the immediate response of law enforcement and assure all we are strong with the love of our families, community, friends and every one sending concern, wishes, and strength. We will persevere,' the statement added.
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The two suspect shooters – Devon Erickson, 18, (above) and a juvenile female are in police custody
Shots were fired at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Denver at 1.53pm Tuesday afternoon
Students pictured evacuating the school after the shooting broke out on Tuesday
Authorities have not yet released a motive for the shooting, which occurred just seven miles from the scene of the deadly 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
Bialy's classmate Nui Giasolli praised and thanked him for his bravery.
Speaking on the Today show on Wednesday morning she said Brendan, Castillo and their friend gave 'all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room to escape'.
The two suspect shooters – Erickson and the juvenile female who authorities previously identified as a boy and is in the process of transitioning – are in police custody.
They opened fire at the school at 1.53pm Tuesday afternoon.
Nine students suffered gunshot wounds in the shooting and three of them remain in intensive care in hospital. Five had been discharged from the hospital by Wednesday morning. Castillo was the sole fatality.
Classmate Nui Giasolli hailed Brendan Bialy (above) and Kendrick Castillo as heroes for taking down the shooter saying they gave 'all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room to escape'
Nine students suffered gunshot wounds in the shooting and three of them remain in intensive care in hospital and one died from their wounds
Police pictured at the scene of the shooting that left one dead and injured eight others
'We know two individuals walked into the STEM school, got deep inside the school and engaged students in two separate locations,' Sheriff Tony Spurlock of Douglas County said at a news conference Wednesday morning.
Authorities have not yet released a motive for the shooting, which occurred just seven miles from the scene of the deadly 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
STEM School Highlands Ranch teaches kindergarten through 12th grade and has about 1,800 students.
There was no police officer assigned to the school as the administration opted for private security instead.
The school alerted police immediately after the first gunshots were fired and police were on the scene two minutes later.
