Heroic Teacher Tackles Gunman Before School Shooting Turns Fatal | Littleton, CO

On Tuesday February 23, 2010, a man armed with a high-powered rifle shot two young students in the parking lot of their middle school at 3:30pm. The Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Colorado is just 3 miles from Columbine High School, where one of the most infamous and deadly school shootings took place in 1999. One male and one female student were shot after a man asked the teens, “Do you guys go to this school?” and they responded that they did. The two victims were taken to a hospital for surgery and are expected to survive. Seventh-grade math teacher David Benke, a former college basketball player, tackled the suspect as he was reloading his weapon. Then, two bus drivers jumped on the gunman and helped hold him until police arrived. The suspect was identified as Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood. Police stated that it does not appear he has any connection to the school and they have not identified a motive for the shootings.

Benke’s heroic act may well have prevented many more injuries and fatalities in what could have turned into a deadly school-shooting rampage. He claimed that he didn’t have time to fear for his life before tackling the gunman. One of the victims was Benke’s student.

Read the full story from CBS News here.

Update - March 3, 2010: The gunman Bruco Strongeagle Eastwood, 32, was formally charged on 15 counts, including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, child abuse resulting in bodily injury, and possession of a weapon on school grounds. The victims' names were released: Reagan Weber and Matthew Thieu. The 8th graders were treated for their injuries and have been released from the hospital.

Read the full article from CNN here.