Arapahoe High School gunman planned to shoot in four other parts of school, sheriff’s report says

Karl Pierson, the 18-year-old Colorado student who opened fire at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, had plans to shoot students in at least four other areas of the school, according to a new report from a report by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office.

On Friday, Pierson opened fire, targeting a teacher. He did hit a 17-year-old girl, Claire Davis, who is still in critical condition and a coma. He carried a 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun and did not try to hide the weapon as he entered the school. The attack lasted just 80 seconds and Pierson shot himself in the library.

According to Denver’s ABC 7, Pierson had five different sets of numbers and letters written on his arm in permanent marker. These corresponded with the library and other classrooms in the media center of the school.

NBC News reports that the sheriff’s office said it is“closely evaluating if the occupants of those classrooms may have also been targeted for harm by the shooter.”

Pierson also had a Latin phrase written on his arm that read, “Alea iacta est” or “The die has been cast” in English. The shooter also carried 125 rounds of ammunition in his backpack and three Molotov cocktails when he entered the school.

Police have praised the teacher Pierson was targeting, since he left the school in an effort to get Pierson to leave the building. Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson also praised the first responders for their quick action in saving lives.

“We are shattered by the tragic events that took place on Friday," Barbara and Mark Pierson, Pierson’s parents, said in a statement Monday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Claire Davis and her family. They, and she, have suffered unimaginably, and we pray for her full recovery. We also pray for the entire Arapahoe High School community, as we know your lives are forever changed by this horrific event.”

They added that they do love their son, but cannot understand why he did what he did. “We ask for privacy during this unthinkably difficult time and hope that you will respect our need for time to grieve,” they said.