CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — The teenager who fatally shot afellow student at his suburban Denver
high school this month enteredthrough a door that was supposed to be locked but had been propped
open,the sheriff said Monday.Even if the door had been locked, itprobably wouldn’t have deterred
18-year-old Karl Pierson, ArapahoeCounty Sheriff Grayson Robinson said. "He was bent on evil and he
wasbent on causing the maximum harm to the maximum number of peoplepossible," he said.Pierson was
carrying a shotgun, more than 125shotgun shells, a machete and three homemade firebombs,
investigatorssay. He shot and killed himself as sheriff’s Deputy James Englert closedin on him, Robinson
said.The door Pierson used was frequentlypropped open, probably to make it easier to leave and re-enter,
Robinsonsaid. He said he did not know who had left it open that day.Thedoor was one of the few new
details released Monday at a news conferenceon the investigation into the Dec. 13 assault on Arapahoe
County HighSchool in the southern suburb of Centennial.Claire Davis, a17-year-old senior, was shot
point-blank in the face and died Dec. 21.She had been hospitalized in critical condition. Davis’ funeral
tookplace Saturday, and Englert served as a pallbearer at the family’srequest, Robinson said.Englert is
assigned as a resource officerat Arapahoe County High, and Robinson credits him with averting
morebloodshed by rushing to confront Pierson. "James Englert is a hero,there’s no question,"
Robinson said. "James responded heroically and hesaved lives."An unarmed school security
officer, retiredsheriff’s deputy Rod Mauler, also ran toward the hallway and room whereshots were being
fired, Robinson said.Robinson has said Davis wasa random victim and that Pierson’s main target was a
speech team coachwho had disciplined Pierson. Robinson declined to offer any details ofthe discipline.
Authorities have not released the coach’s name.The sheriff said he could not predict when the
investigation would be complete.Investigatorssay Pierson purchased the shotgun legally a week before the
shooting,and they believe he acted alone, but they are still looking into whetheranyone else knew of
Pierson’s plans.Robinson said Pierson had gone bowling alone on the morning of the shooting.Afterthe
1999 shootings at Columbine High School, about 8 miles west ofArapahoe County High School, some news
reports said the killers had gonebowling that morning, but authorities say that was
incorrect.Twelvestudents and a teacher were killed at Columbine, and the killers — whowere also
Columbine students — took their own lives.___Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP .Copyright
2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
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