Duane Roger Morrison

Case identity

Duane Roger Morrison (c. 1952—September 27, 2006) was the lone gunman who stormed into Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado, took six female students hostage, killed one of them, and later shot himself. Emily Keyes was the hostage who was killed.

Timeline

• 11:40 a.m. MDT (September 27, 2006) — Morrison entered Platte Canyon High School carrying a backpack and a handgun; he claimed there were explosives in the backpack. He fired a shot into the air and instructed students to stand facing the chalkboard.
• Around 10:45 a.m. — Students reported seeing Morrison sitting in a yellow Jeep in the school parking lot before he entered the school.
• By 12:10 p.m. — All students except the hostages were safely evacuated.
• 3:00 p.m. — All students were taken to Deer Creek Elementary School.
• Around 3:40 p.m. — A gurney was removed from the school area with Keyes; a second gurney that came out was empty.
• About 3:45 p.m. — Police burst through the door of the second-floor classroom.
• 4:00 p.m. — Morrison stated he would stop negotiating at 4:00 p.m.
• 4:32 p.m. MDT (23:32 UTC) — Emily Keyes was pronounced dead at Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado after undergoing emergency surgery.
• By 6:00 p.m. — The Park County coroner said Morrison’s body was still in the second-floor classroom.

Background

Platte Canyon High School shooting occurred at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado, on September 27, 2006. The incident also brought attention to the Columbine High School massacre of 1999.

Morrison was believed to have been living in his car and camping out near Bailey. He had a Denver address and was described as carrying a backpack and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt when he entered the school. Witnesses reported he was angry.

The offence

Morrison entered the school at about 11:40 a.m. carrying a backpack in which he stated there were explosives. He instructed students to stand facing the chalkboard and then separated students, telling the male students to exit the classroom while leaving six female students hostage.

It was reported that Morrison sexually assaulted the hostages while in the classroom. Lynna Long, a 15-year-old sophomore and one of the six hostages, stated that Morrison lined the girls up facing a chalkboard and then sexually assaulted all of them. Long said she knew the other hostages were being molested because of “the rustling of clothes and elastic being snapped and zippers being opened and closed”.

Sheriff Fred Wegener informed the media that all the girls were molested, though he did not know “how much or to what degree”.

Morrison fired his handgun when the teacher did not do what he asked. A police report later said that Morrison fired his handgun into the air and instructed all students to stand facing the chalkboard. Other accounts said he fired a single shot using his handgun when a teacher did not do what he asked. In one account, a sixteen-year-old student named Katrina Keller reportedly saw Morrison entering the school before the time specified by police.

During the standoff, Morrison used the student hostages as relayers between negotiators and himself, since he did not want to speak directly with officials.

After four of the six girls were released, Morrison kept two hostages inside the room as conversations continued. A total of six female students were held hostage. Only four were released.

Emily Keyes was shot by Morrison during the police entry. She was a 16-year-old junior and was killed by a shot to the head.

Investigation

Investigators did not find any sign of explosives in Morrison’s backpack. Park County coroner Sharon Morris confirmed that the body of Morrison was still in the second-floor classroom as of 6:00 p.m. Morris confirmed Morrison’s body had four bullet wounds, three nonfatal from police and one fatal shot from his own gun.

Investigators found an assault rifle in a clearing adjacent to a river about a mile north of the school.

By October 11, investigators had conducted 124 interviews and had found 174 pieces of evidence related to the case.

Investigators were also investigating the Amish school shooting in Pennsylvania, which had occurred five days after the shooting in Bailey.

Arrest and legal history mentioned in the case

Court records showed Morrison was arrested in July for obstructing police in Lakewood, in the west Denver suburb of Lakewood, on a charge of obstructing police in Littleton.

He was also arrested in 1973 for larceny and marijuana possession.

Negotiations and evacuation

A “code white” alert was sounded over the intercom and students were instructed to remain in their classrooms. Negotiations began with the goal of allowing the six remaining hostages in the room to be released.

Morrison spoke via telephone and used the student hostages as relayers. Morrison’s demands were unknown, although police confirmed his primary concern was a request for the police to back away.

A total of 800 students from both Platte Canyon High School and nearby Fitzsimmons Middle School were rapidly evacuated. Parents were able to gain little information from authorities during the crisis, as authorities remained silent while the crisis continued.

All students except the hostages were safely evacuated by 12:10 p.m. By 3:00 p.m., all had been taken to Deer Creek Elementary School. A counseling center set up at a local church would open at 7:00 a.m.

Assault and witness accounts

Katrina Keller, a 16-year-old student, reportedly saw Morrison entering the school. She said she was walking past a vacant classroom and saw a man inside wearing a hooded sweatshirt and looking angry. She did not report the incident to the school office and said: “I should’ve said something. If I’d said something, it might not have been this bad.”

Tom Grigg described his son Cassidy’s situation in the classroom: “A guy came up and pointed a gun at (Cassidy) and told him to leave.” Grigg said his son responded: “No, I want to stay with the girls,” and that the gunman then said: “You. Out of here.”

Lynna Long described hearing “the rustling of clothes and elastic being snapped and zippers being opened and closed”.

Randell Callahan described the evacuation response: “People were crying and people were going around looking for their friends and trying to cheer themselves up. All the teachers from the high school were in there.”

Shooting and deaths

The police stormed the second-floor classroom after Morrison broke off negotiations for the last time and after the time had passed when he stated he would stop negotiating.

Sheriff Fred Wegener said police chose to storm after the man ended negotiations, stating that “something would happen at 4 p.m.” Wegener also said: “My decision was either wait—[and have the] possibility of having two dead hostages or act and try to save what I feared he would do to them. ... Because I'd want whoever was in my position to do the same thing, and that is to save lives.”

A police burst through the door at approximately 3:45 p.m. During the entry, Morrison used hostages as human shields against the Jefferson County SWAT team. Morrison shot at the policemen and then shot hostage 16-year-old junior Emily Keyes, who was trying to run. Morrison committed suicide soon thereafter.

Keyes was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Denver, where she was pronounced dead at 4:32 p.m. after undergoing emergency surgery. Hospital spokeswoman Bev Lilly said she believed the girl was shot in the head.

The other hostage escaped unharmed and survived with no physical injuries.

Victim information

Emily Keyes was a 16-year-old junior. She was killed by a shot to the head. She was taken to Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Denver and was pronounced dead at 4:32 p.m. MDT.

Sabrina Blea described Emily as friendly, bright, an athlete who played volleyball, saying: “She liked to talk a lot. About how people need to change and live life good. She’s so innocent. I can’t believe it.”

Katrina Keller was described as a student who reportedly spotted Morrison entering the school. Lynna Long was described as a 15-year-old sophomore and one of the six hostages. Cassidy Grigg was named as a male student who was ordered to exit the classroom.

Other people quoted or mentioned

Park County sheriff Fred Wegener said: “We were afraid of the worst, and we had to do what we had to do,” and also said: “I don't know why he wanted to do this.”

Wegener said: “Yes, I eventually have to go face a family who’s daughter is dead,” and said: “Yes. What would you do?”

Wegener said: “This is something that has changed my school, changed my community,” and “My small county’s gone.”

Wegener also said: “My decision was either wait — (and have the) possibility of having two dead hostages or act and try to save what I feared he would do to them. “We had to try to save them.”

Wegener said: “My decision was either wait—[and have the] possibility of having two dead hostages or act and try to save what I feared he would do to them. ...

Mary Sasser, whose daughter had a 15-year-old at the school, said: “All we could do is pray,” and said she heard the sirens as deputies rushed by.

Parents were quoted describing their experiences, including Patti Browning saying: “That was a relief,” but also “I'm still worried for all the others.” Dawn Mack said: “You don't know what's going on,” and “You don't know what to believe. ... In that condition, your mind just goes out there.” Sarah Mendoza said: “This is a parent's worst nightmare,” and “I can't tell you how happy I am.”

Del Elliot of the University of Colorado said: “[the vast majority of school districts] are so totally absorbed with CSAP and academic requirements that they aren't spending a lot of time and resources on this issue”.

Sonny Jackson, spokesman for Denver Police Department, said: “It was purchased for this very reason, when you have a multi-agency incident,” and: “This is the first time it has been called out of the Denver area.”

Park County Coroner Sharon Morris was quoted saying: “My decision was either wait—[and have the] possibility of having two dead hostages or act and try to save what I feared he would do to them. ... Because I'd want whoever was in my position to do the same thing, and that is to save lives.” (appearing alongside her name in the provided material) and later confirmed the body of the gunman was still in the second-floor classroom as of 6:00 p.m.

The incident involved sheriff Fred Wegener (whose son was in the school building at the time) and a SWAT team from Jefferson County.

Sentencing

No sentencing information was provided.

Appeals

No appeals information was provided.

Aftermath

Platte Canyon High School increased its security after the shooting, leaving only one school entrance unlocked and planning to install more security cameras. Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener proposed having a guard during the school day, but said it was outside the current budget.

District officials closed Platte Canyon High School and Fitzsimmons Middle School immediately after Morrison’s crimes, and later reopened Platte Canyon High School a week after the shooting on October 5. The district stated the schools would be closed for September 28 and September 29. Superintendent Dr. James Walpole noted that of 460 high school students, only 10 were absent. Fifty counselors were present during the day for students.

A counseling center was set up at a local church at Platte Canyon Community Church in Bailey, and it would open at 7:00 a.m.

Memorials were erected along the highway leading to the school with messages such as “Be Strong” and “Random Acts of Kindness”. A number of students prayed in front of the school before the day began, and students were given donated teddy bears as they left.

The service for Emily Keyes was held on September 30, the day that Governor Bill Owens later declared “Emily Keyes Day”.

About 5,000 motorcyclists took part in the “Columbine to Canyon Ride” in memory of the victims of both the Columbine and Platte Canyon disasters.

A 4-mile stretch of U.S. 285 was closed during the standoff, and authorities stated it was expected to remain closed until noon the following day.

Communication among law enforcement agencies worked better than during the Columbine shootings due to use of a Metro Area Communication vehicle that allowed different radio systems to be patched together. Sonny Jackson said it was purchased for multi-agency incidents, and that it was the first time it had been called out of the Denver area. The U.S. Department of Justice purchased 25 of these trucks for cities across the nation, and one had been sent to Denver about a year before the incident.

Police announced that a suicide letter written by perpetrator Duane Morrison to a family member was being analyzed by the FBI. Morrison’s family gave the letter to police, who then submitted the document to the FBI Behavioral Unit in Quantico, Virginia.

Other details

Multiple accounts described Morrison’s earlier presence in a yellow Jeep near the school, including that security camera videos showed he was in the Jeep for at least 20 minutes, mingling with students as classes changed, 35 minutes before the siege began. Earlier that day, Morrison had spoken to a male high school student and “asked about the identity of a list of female students”.

It was unclear how Morrison entered the school; Katrina Keller, 16, may have been one of the first to spot the intruder, and others reported they wondered why “It’s Bailey,” and that “Not a lot of things happen in Bailey.”