Feature photo by Vincent Tran: Bullets shattered car window. The Rangeview practice soccer field is featured in the background.
Although Raiders put Adams City High School on a lockdown at their game — taking a huge win, Rangeview was also put under orange lockdown last night during the game due to a multiple-victim shooting near the school that left one in critical condition and many in the Rangeview community shaken.
“It’s pretty scary,” said Dean of Students Jon Sobolewski, “but I felt pretty comfortable and calm. The crowd also handled it pretty well.”
According to the Aurora Sentinel, an off-duty Jefferson County sheriff deputy received two gunshot wounds after being robbed by two juveniles in a nearby apartment parking lot. The wounded officer is now in stable condition, according to the Jefferson County Police Department (PD). One of the suspects, a 16-year-old male, was shot in the leg, which slowed him down, and the police were able to get him to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries — the shooter is unknown, said police.
“The fact that it happened so close is pretty scary,” said senior Thomas Rutherford, who lives near where the shooting took place. “I don’t feel as safe considering how sketchy the neighborhood was. Makes you worry that they are still running around out there.”
The other male suspect got away and authorities were on the lookout near Vassar Elementary School, according to the Aurora Sentinel.
Early this morning, no cars were allowed into the perimeter along South Telluride Street, East Vassar Place, and Salida along Toll Gate Creek greenbelt. The suspect remains on the run — Arapahoe and Jefferson Police Departments helped the Aurora police with the search and up until now; the Aurora PD is currently on the search, according to the Jefferson County PD.
It was towards the end of the fourth quarter of the Rangeview boys’ basketball game against Adams City that administration announced the orange lockdown. Students were not allowed to leave till about 10 minutes after the game had ended.
“How we (the staff) deal with these events is very encouraging,” said athletic director Vic Strouse. “It shows that our main concern is safety for those in our building.”
Reporters Anahi Castaneda and Michael Cordova contributed to this report.
