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Alec McKinney, 1 Of 2 Highlands Ranch School Shooting Suspects Appears In Court

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4)- Maya McKinney, the second suspect in the Highlands Ranch school shooting, appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon. McKinney, a juvenile female, identifies as male and prefers to be called "Alec."

Alec McKinney
Alec McKinney (credit: Instagram)

McKinney appeared in court after the other suspect in the shooting, Devon Erickson, 18, spoke to the judge on Wednesday. Erickson is facing 30 counts in connection with the shooting, including including first-degree murder and dozens of attempted murder counts. The judge ordered Erickson be held without bond at the Douglas County Jail in Castle Rock.

STEM School Highlands Ranch Shooting
(Photo by Tom Cooper/Getty Images)

Police say McKinney was arrested inside STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday afternoon after he and Erickson shot and killed Kendrick Castillo, 18, and injured eight others.

STEM Shooter in court EMC_frame_76044
(credit: CBS)

Early Wednesday morning, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock addressed the media about the second suspect, "We originally thought that we had a juvenile male in custody but through our interviews yesterday late afternoon determined that we had a juvenile female that is in custody right now who is the other suspect."

When McKinney appeared in court, the teen's attorneys requested that the person prefers the pronoun "he." McKinney was held without bond and waived the reading of formal charges.

STEM School Highlands Ranch Shooting
(Photo by Tom Cooper/Getty Images)

Deputies rushed in to the school just after 2 p.m. Tuesday after reports of a shooting and arrested the two suspects. The deputies "did not exchange any gunfire with them," according to Spurlock.

RELATED: School Districts Offer Resources For Parents Following STEM School Shooting

STEM School Highlands Ranch will be closed for the rest of the week. A Crisis Support Center will be available for all STEM students, staff and families at the St. Andrew United Methodist Church at 9203 South University Boulevard in Highlands Ranch.

The FBI is currently involved in the investigation inside the school. Homeland Security agents are also helping Douglas County authorities with the shooting investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working with the sheriff's department to determine where the guns used in the shooting were purchased. Neither suspect is of legal age to own or purchase a handgun.

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