One of the two shooters in the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting, Devon Erickson, has been described as an actual bully by some of his classmates. This runs counter to the typical narrative that school shooters are always victims of bullying.

According to reports, Erickson bullied at least one student who was smaller than him. This is a reminder that the “bullied loner” narrative that often surrounds school shooters is not always accurate and can itself be harmful, as it can generate sympathy for perpetrators and shift blame onto victims.

Erickson and his co-shooter Alec McKinney attacked the STEM School on May 7, 2019, killing student Kendrick Castillo and wounding eight others. Castillo died heroically after lunging at one of the shooters to protect his classmates.

McKinney, who was 16 at the time, has since stated that the attack was motivated in part by anger at classmates. McKinney pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Erickson was convicted at trial and also received a life sentence.

(Sources)
Denver Channel