Tracy Murphy, an Arapahoe High School teacher and librarian, who also was the leader of the school’s award-winning Speech and Debate team, was the target of one of his students, Karl Pierson, a member of that same Speech and Debate team, in the Arapahoe High School shooting incident that happened today.
According to an interview an Arapahoe High School student gave to CNN’s Jake Tapper just about 10 minutes ago, the student said that there was an issue of some sort between Mr. Murphy and Karl Pierson (causing Karl Pierson, the shooter, to hold a grudge against Murphy, the person he was going after) and said that person was the librarian. Tapper asked the student not to name the persons involved at the time.
An Internet search via Google revealed that the name of the librarian was a Tracy Murphy. This was also revealed by several sources on Twitter.
Our updated #Arapahoe shooting story. @glowgow spoke to the wife of Tracy Murphy, the librarian targeted by shooter http://t.co/DqWIMSigUI
— Sasha Goldstein (@NYCitySasha) December 13, 2013
Reportedly, a janitor named Fabian at Arapahoe High School managed to get word to Tracy Murphy via the school’s radio and before the student could get to him.
Mr. Murphy left the school and went home, but not before being shot at by the student, who’s now revealed to be Karl Pierson.
[EveryJoe] Report: Karl Pierson is the Arapahoe High School Gunman http://t.co/MLh9MtRDBS
— B5Media (@B5Feed) December 14, 2013
An update, an Arapahoe High School student who knew Karl Pierson said he was “the last person you’d think would do this sort of thing,” and described him as “geeky, in a charming sort of way.” He also said that while Pierson wasn’t known for strange behavior, what triggered the grudge was that he was demoted from a post on the speech and debate team. Karl Pierson was said to be quiet and humble.
Stay tuned.