July 25 (UPI) -- One of the two teens accused of opening fire at Denver suburb high school, killing one student, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus 38 years.
A judge in Castle Rock, Colo., handed down the sentence Friday during a hearing in which Alec McKinney, 17, appeared by video. He pleaded guilty in February to more than a dozen charges, including first-degree murder for the death of 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo in the May 2019 shooting.
McKinney told investigators he and co-conspirator Devon Erickson, 19, planned the shooting because they wanted fellow students to "experience bad things" and "have to suffer from trauma like he has had to in his life."
McKinney told police he was bullied in school because he's transgender. He said he targeted people who "made fun of him" and called him names. McKinney's legal name on court documents is Maya McKinney.
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Police said he told them he felt suicidal and homicidal since he was 12.
They said McKinney and Erickson both fired guns they got from a locked cabinet in the latter's home. In addition to killing Castillo, the shooting injured eight students, including two shot by a school security officer who believed they were the shooters.
At Friday's hearing, Castillo's family and other victims of the shooting gave impact statements as McKinney watched and listened via video link.
John Castillo, Kendrick Castillo's father, called McKinney a "monster."
"You took something from me that can never be replaced ... you've taken my purpose ... I will never find peace," he said.
His wife, Maria Castillo, told McKinney she would never forgive him.
"I'll never forgive you, I hate you."
In addition to the murder charge, McKinney pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder after deliberation; six counts of attempted murder after deliberation; attempted murder extreme indifference; second-degree assault; conspiracy to commit arson; conspiracy to commit burglary; conspiracy to commit criminal mischief; possession of a weapon on school grounds; possession of a handgun by a juvenile; and two crime-of-violence sentence enhancers.
Erickson pleaded not guilty to the same charges Jan. 2, saying McKinney forced him to carry out the shooting. Erickson's trial is scheduled to begin in September.
