DENVER — The 17-year-old student who police say shot two East High School administrators Wednesday was on probation for a prior weapons charge, The Denver Post confirmed.
Prosecutors charged Austin Lyle with possessing a dangerous weapon and a large-capacity magazine in late 2021 after he was arrested by Aurora police, The Post found.
Lyle was accepted into a diversion program — which allows charges to be dismissed if a defendant meets certain conditions, but that agreement was later revoked.
In November, Lyle was sentenced to 12 months probation on the large-magazine possession charge. The possession of a dangerous weapon charge was dismissed, The Post found.
Further information about Lyle’s interactions with police and prosecutors was not available because juvenile court records are restricted from the public in Colorado.
Authorities found Lyle’s body Wednesday afternoon in Park County. Denver District Attorney Beth McCann on Thursday said Lyle died by suicide.
Lyle was on a Denver Public Schools safety plan that required him to be patted down daily when he arrived at school, officials said Wednesday. He shot the two administrators inside the school while they conducted the pat-down and then fled, police said.
Lyle was “removed” from Overland High School in Aurora over discipline issues during the 2021-2022 school year, a Cherry Creek School District spokeswoman said. She declined to say what prompted the removal.
The shooting Wednesday is the second at the school in two months and prompted fury and questions from students and parents.
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