Students sent home after fake gun triggers lockdown

High schoolers in Golden were released from classes Monday after a student brought a fake gun to school, triggering a lockdown, according to the school district.

At 8:06 a.m. Monday, Jefferson County Public Schools received a Safe2Tell report that a Golden High School student was in the school “with something that looked like a firearm in their possession,” according to an email released to The Denver Post by the school district.

The school was placed on lockdown.

During the lockdown, a student with a “facsimile” weapon that they made at home for their Halloween costume asked law enforcement if their costume was the reason for the lockdown, according to the email from Golden High School Principal John Graham to parents.

The student matched the description given in the tip and was interviewed by police, Graham said.

At about 9:30 a.m., the school started a controlled early release so Golden police officers could finish clearing the building. A second sweep of the building was complete and the lockdown was lifted by 10 a.m.

“At no point was there a weapon on our school campus and all staff and students are safe,” Graham wrote in the email, confirming the tip originated from the Halloween costume.

Graham said students who walk or drive to school were released to go home on their own, those who ride the bus were taken home on buses that picked them up off campus and those who get picked up by their parents were able to do so in the main parking lot.

— Lauren Penington, The Denver Post

Missing snowboarder’s body found on Friday

The body of missing snowboarder Connor Gill was found on Friday, Eagle County Coroner Kara Bettis has confirmed.

Gill had been missing since Feb. 14.

Gill was an intermediate snowboarder from the Denver area who went missing in the Chair 2 area of Vail Mountain during extremely snowy conditions.

The mountain received several feet of snow after his disappearance was reported, complicating search efforts.

An exhaustive search of Vail Mountain ensued, led by Vail Ski Patrol and Vail Mountain Rescue. Photos of Gill were shared widely on social media and national outlets reported on his disappearance.

When Gill was finally discovered on Friday, it was after several days of no snow and warm conditions. On Monday, Bettis confirmed the body found on Friday was Gill.

— The Vail Daily