COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — After deliberating just over four hours, the jury tasked with deciding the dozens of charges against accused STEM School Highlands Ranch mass shooter Devon Erickson found him guilty on all charges, including first-degree murder for the death of his classmate Kendrick Castillo.
Erickson, 20, faced 46 total counts for the May 2019 shooting that killed Castillo and left eight others wounded, including first-degree murder and attempted murder for each person in the classroom the shooters attacked.
Judge Theresa Slade began reading the verdict shortly before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The prosecution and defense attorneys finished closing arguments at the end of the day Monday. Slade will impose a mandatory life sentence on Erickson without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder conviction.
The charges he was convicted of, including sentence enhancers for possession of a deadly weapon and causing serious bodily injury, include:
—Attempted first-degree murder after deliberation: 6 counts
—Attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference: 25 counts
—Second-degree arson: 1 count
—Providing or permitting a juvenile to possess a handgun: 1 count
—Third-degree burglary: 1 count
—Conspiracy to commit second-degree arson: 1 count
—Theft: 1 count
—Possession of a weapon on school grounds: 1 count
—Criminal mischief: 1 count
—Conspiracy to commit criminal mischief: 1 count
—Conspiracy to commit theft: 1 count
—Conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary: 1 count
—Interference with staff, faculty or students of educational institutions: 1 count
—Reckless endangerment: 1 count
As Slade read out the verdict for each count, Erickson stood straight with hands folded in front of him. His eyes dropped when she read the conviction for first-degree murder after deliberation.
His co-defendant, Alec McKinney, testified for prosecutors last week that he and Erickson shared equal responsibility for planning the attack, and that neither tried to stop the other or force the other into it.
He pleaded guilty in February 2020 to 15 counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder with extreme indifference for everyone in Room 107 who was not shot, and two crime-of-violence sentence enhancers.
McKinney received a life sentence plus 38 years, with the possibility of parole after 40 years since he was convicted as a juvenile.
The court went into a recess shortly before 3:15 p.m. to discuss the prosecution's request for a presentence investigation. Slade initially refused and the defense said there was no need for one, as Erickson will serve life in prison without parole. A sentencing date was set for Sept. 17.
After the hearing, some victims and their families talked to the news media.
"The last 24 hours have been unbelievable for my wife," said John Castillo, Kendrick's father. "The waiting and wondering what the deliberations would be."
He thanked prosecutors and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
"Kendrick didn't have a choice of where he died," Castillo said. "But we're so glad it was in this county. The way prosecutors represented him and the other victims, I can't tell you what that meant to me and my wife."
Castillo said he would continue advocating for laws that will prevent "domestic terrorism" and safer schools.
"I'm sure Kendrick was looking down on us today," he said. "He was with us and we believe he helped the jurors. We'll never quit missing him. We'll never quit honoring him. This day justice was delivered for him."
Victim Mitchell Kraus, who walked Erickson to the nurse's office shortly before the attack when he said he did not feel well, said "it feels great that justice was served."
"We (the victims) are all part of a family now we were never meant to be a part of," Kraus said. "All of us are one family. This event never should have happened; our lives changed. But we worked together these past two years."
Asked what he would say to Erickson at the sentencing, he replied: "sayonara," which means "goodbye forever" in Japanese.
18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner thanked jurors and paid tribute to Castillo.
"His name will never be forgotten," Kellner said. "We all will remember Kendrick Castillo as the brave young student who sprang into action and defended his friends. He made the ultimate sacrifice."
Deputy DA George Brauchler thanked Kellner for keeping him on the case after he was term-limited out of the district attorney role. He thanked the prosecution team.
"For John and Maria, it had to be anti-climatic and bittersweet. The convictions aren't going to bring Kendrick back," he said. "I just hope they know we got as much as we could."
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(Denver Gazette reporter Dennis Huspeni contributed to this story.)
