HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — Prior to Game 5 of their NBA playoff series, members of the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets spoke Tuesday about the mass shooting in Denver that killed one teenager and wounded eight.
Denver coach Michael Malone said the STEM School Highlands Ranch, where the shooting took place, is two minutes from his house. He said he found out about the shooting when his wife called him while he was working at the Pepsi Center. Both of his daughters, who Malone said have been in a lockout twice in the past month, texted to say they were OK.
"I know thoughts and prayers are never enough. ... But from myself, our team, and our organization, our thoughts and prayers are with all those families, students, school administrators, everybody that was there today. It's a tragedy," Malone said before Game 5.
"The second thing I'd like to say is just a thank you to the Douglas County Sheriff's Department that was there on top of it in a matter of minutes, and all the first responders that were there, and allowing that not to become worse than it was.
"I'm not a politician. I don't have the answers. But something must change. I just want to make sure I acknowledge what happened today in my backyard. All those families are on my mind," Malone said.
Blazers center Enes Kanter tweeted about the tragedy on Tuesday afternoon.
"So sad to hear about the shooting in Denver," Kanter tweeted. "Although we play against [the Nuggets] tonight, we are hurting now. My heart is with the kids and their families. The [Trail Blazers are] sending prayers to you and stand with the Denver community!"
Two students opened fire Tuesday inside a charter school in an affluent suburb of Denver not far from Columbine High School, killing a teenager, wounding eight and spreading minutes of terror before they were taken into custody with no injuries, authorities said.
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said the pair walked into the STEM School Highlands Ranch and began shooting students in two classrooms. Within minutes, deputies at a nearby sheriff's department substation entered the school and arrested the two suspects after a struggle.
Authorities did not release the name of the student who died, but said it was an 18-year-old man.
"I have to believe that the quick response of the officers that got inside that school helped save lives," Spurlock said. He did not identify the suspects, but said they were not previously known to authorities. Authorities planned to search their homes and a vehicle at the school, he said.
STEM is a public charter school with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math. It has more than 1,850 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.