Littleton School Board Vows To Prioritize Safety After Shooting Report

Littleton School Board members vowed Thursday night to make schools safety a priority.

The promise came after they listened to three hours of testimony from researchers who studied the 2013 Arapahoe High School shooting that left two students dead.

Researchers concluded that school officials made numerous mistakes in assessing the threat posed by the student shooter. The district will spend three months digesting the recommendations – such as how to ensure school officials know how to properly assess threatening behavior.

At a press conference after the board meeting, new Superintendent Brian Ewert apologized.

"In retrospect and with the benefit with a great deal more information now than was available at that time we understand that warning signs were missed both inside and outside of LPS," Ewert said. "We are profoundly sorry that this may have contributed to the loss of two student lives that day."

The district has put $810,000 into mental health supports at schools, but Ewert said it will be difficult to maintain that level of support due to budget constraints.