LITTLETON, Colo. — A gunman opened fire in front of a middle school here Tuesday, shooting two students before staff members disarmed and subdued him.
According to a statement from Jeffco Public Schools, Deer Creek Middle School students Matt Thieu and Reagan Weber were transported to a hospital following the incident. Weber was treated and released; Thieu remains hospitalized, but is reportedly improving.
Counselors are helping students and family members deal with the shootings. The middle school closed after the shooting and is scheduled to reopen on Monday.
Fox News reports that alleged gunman Bruco Eastwood faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Investigators say that Eastwood began firing at students with a hunting rifle outside of the school as they were leaving.
According to witnesses, David Benke, a math teacher, tackled and disarmed Eastwood. Other teachers and school bus drivers helped subdue Eastwood until police arrived.
The news source reports that Steve Potter was one of the school bus drivers.
"Dr. Benke was out there at the time the school was being let out. It looked to me like he heard the shot and decided to react accordingly," Potter told FOX31 News. "There was a little bit of a wresting match for about five seconds or so," before Benke had disarmed the gunman, Potter said.
Deer Creek Middle School is just a few miles from Columbine High School, where in 1999 two students shot and killed 12 of their classmates and a teacher and injured 23 others before turning the guns on themselves.