Shooting puts Brighton schools on ‘secure’, lockdown status Communities try design to improve public safety

State dollars aim to prevent crime with environmental changes

BY BRITTANY FREEMAN AND CULLEN PURSER ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Mike Burns bought a home right on the river near Delta, Colorado, with plans to spend the summers shing outdoors with his grandkids. But those kinds of excursions haven’t always felt safe, since the family learned more about what had been happening in their new neighborhood.

A shooting near Brighton High School March 15 prompted a heavy response from law enforcement. As of mid-afternoon March 15, authorities recovered shell casings near BHS but no weapon.

Three suspects arrested in wake of shooting outside of Brighton High

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

One person was wounded after a shooting on March 15 at South Ninth Avenue and Bush Street, near Brighton High School.

“We believe we have all the suspects in custody at this time,” Brighton Police Chief Matt Domenico said at a press conference at the scene. “We have three individuals in custody, two that were taken into custody at a tra c stop and another that was taken into custody a little later.” e resulting investigation put both Brighton and Prairie View high schools on lockdown, meaning all doors were closed and locked, con nement of students to the school and no entry to or exit from the school. Other schools were on “secure stats,” meaning a threat in the area near a school. is was formerly called a “lockout.”

“ e school district is working with the Brighton Police Department now and conducting a controlled release,” Domenico said at the 3 p.m. press conference.

“ is came out at about 12:30 p.m., and this is lunchtime, and there are multiple schools in the area. ere were a number of students in the area,” Domenico said. “I just want to share that our concern right now is that incidents like this are traumatic for everyone involved, but especially our school community and we do send our thoughts to everyone there.”

Counselors were available March 16 for those who needed them, according to district spokesman Kevin e incident happened near South Ninth Avenue and Bush Street. One victim went to an area urgent care clinic with a gunshot wound and Brighton police tweeted that potential suspects were near East 120th Avenue and Salem Street.

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Police searched several classrooms inside PVHS -- not far from the reported sighting -- but did not nd a suspect.

At his press conference, Domenico declined to say how old the people involved in the shooting were or if they were students at either school.

In a written statement issued later in the day, Brighton Police said that additional juveniles believed to be involved were contacted and detained.

Detectives believe this was an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the community.

“Crime, drugs, theft, things like that,” he said. “Because of the things that are going on, it’s created some anxiety in us.”

It turns out the Burns family had moved to a 2,000-foot stretch of dirt road that is at the epicenter of roughly 10 percent of every call the small local sheri ’s o ce receives. e sheri sent more deputies to patrol the area but that has left some neighbors even more unnerved.

“You’ve got four or ve sheri ’s vehicles parked next to your yard,” neighbor Steve Martinez said. “What are people going to think about what kind of neighborhood it is that you’re living in?”

But there’s a new sense of hope on this rural Delta County road these days, thanks to an infusion of state dollars set aside to prevent crime — not with more police o cers — but with environmental improvements. e Crime Prevention rough Safer Streets grant program is providing communities with millions of