The 18-year-old gunned down during a shooting inside his Colorado school was just three days away from graduating.
The father of the victim confirmed to NBC News that his son, 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo, was killed in the gunfire at STEM School Highlands Ranch Tuesday afternoon. Another eight people were shot in the bloody incident and rushed to three area hospitals, where several of the wounded underwent surgery.
Five of them have since been released while three others remained in intensive care, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock told reporters during a morning press conference.
The STEM School Highlands Ranch stood empty amid rainy weather and gray skies on Wednesday while the Douglas County community continued to mourn in wake of the shooting. It will remain closed for the rest of the week.
"I live in Douglas County and for about 18 years, I lived half a mile from where the incident took place. I want to talk to you as the DA, but first I want to talk you as the D-A-D, the dad," District Attorney George Brauchler said.
"My heart goes out not just to the victims in this case, but there are those who won't be classified as victims that are feeling it this morning right now _ Moms and dads looking at each other making decisions about whether to send their kids to school in one of the greatest school districts in the country because they don't feel safe. That's the dad talking to you."
Police responded to the STEM School Highlands Ranch, located in a Denver suburb, around 1:50 p.m. Tuesday after a school administrator called to report shots had been fired in the building. Responders immediately "engaged the suspects" in separate classrooms and two suspected gunmen were taken into custody.
Authorities identified one of the alleged shooters as 18-year-old Devon Erickson, but declined to give any more details or photos "as it could jeopardize this critical ongoing investigation," the department said in a short statement.
The second suspect, who is a minor, has not been identified. Spurlock Wednesday morning told reporters the juvenile shooter had initially been identified as a male "based on appearance" _ but after speaking with the suspect, authorities chose to identify her as female.
Officers recovered two handguns from the suspects, but would not provide additional details on the weapons used during the attack. They also declined to speculate on the motive behind the shooting, which is still under investigation.
The STEM School Highlands Ranch, which runs from kindergarten to 12th grade, hosts about 1,800 students. It's located about 7.5 miles southeast of Columbine, where gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed 13 people and injured 21 others on April 20, 1999.
The shooting at the STEM school comes on the heels of the massacre's 20th anniversary.
