Student Who Helped Stop STEM School Shooting Speaks
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - One of the heroes from the STEM School Highlands Ranch Shooting spoke on Tuesday for the first time since the shooting exactly a week ago. Joshua Jones is a student at the school.
He was shot twice while trying to disarm one of the shooters.
Jones, Brendan Bialy and Kendrick Castillo are all named heroes in preventing the shooting from being worse. Castillo died while rushing one of the suspects.
"It's strange to think of people calling me a hero. You're never taught to run toward this kind of thing," Jones said. "I hope no one has to make that decision again."
Jones says Castillo was the first to rush the suspect, but Bialy and himself acted right afterward.
"It's truly a shame he had to leave us so early," Jones said of Castillo.
"I called my mom because she always has been a problem solver for me... Just something like, 'Hey mom, there's been a school shooting. I've been involved. The authorities are on their way. They're going to get an ambulance and I'm going to the hospital. That's all I got right now for you.'"
He says he is still recovering emotionally, but recovering faster physically. He says he expects graduation to be somber this year with Castillo's death. He says he's going on a mission with his Church of Latter Day Saints, and then will return to learn to be an EMT.
Jones says he does not have training in taking down a suspect, but he instead relied on instinct.
"We wanted to say thank you for the outpouring of love and support from all over the country," Jones' mother, Lorie, said.
