In the small town of Bailey, Colorado, a crisp autumn day in September of 2006 was shattered by an act of violence that would leave the community forever changed. Sixteen-year-old Emily Keyes, a female student at Platte Canyon High School, found her life tragically cut short during a terrifying hostage crisis that unfolded within the walls of her school.
On September 27th, a 53-year-old man named Duane Roger Morrison entered the high school armed with a handgun and a backpack he claimed contained explosives. He made his way to a second-floor English classroom, where he took seven female students hostage.
As the hours stretched on, a tense standoff ensued. Morrison released four of the hostages but continued to hold Emily and two other girls. During the ordeal, he subjected the girls to sexual assault. Negotiations with law enforcement proved difficult and eventually stalled. Fearing for the remaining hostages' lives as Morrison's deadline of 4:00 p.m. approached, the Jefferson County SWAT team made the difficult decision to breach the classroom door with explosives at approximately 3:45 p.m.
In the chaotic moments that followed, Morrison opened fire on the officers. As Emily Keyes attempted to flee, he shot her in the head. He then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. Emily was rushed to a hospital in Denver, but her injuries were too severe, and she was pronounced dead later that afternoon. The other remaining hostage managed to escape without physical injury. The subsequent investigation revealed that Morrison had no known connection to the school or any of the students. He was a transient with a minor criminal record. His motives for the attack remained unclear, leaving a community to grapple with a senseless act of violence that claimed the life of a bright and beloved young woman.
