Hero teacher stops Colorado school gunman

A teacher tackled a gunman who had shot two pupils at a Colorado school as he reloaded his rifle.

David Benke wrestled the attacker to the ground and held him until police arrived. The teenage pupils are expected to survive after the shooting at Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, three miles from Columbine High School — site of a 1999 massacre.

Pupil Steven Seagraves was standing near the two teenagers when the gunman approached and asked them: "Do you guys go to this school?" When the pupils said they did, he shot them.

Maths teacher Mr Benke, a 6ft 5in basketball coach, then ran up and tackled the attacker.

"He was trying to rack another round. He couldn't get another round in before I got to him so I grabbed him," he said.

Mr Benke's wife Sandra said her husband was upset that he could not reach the gunman before he shot the two pupils: "He said, It was one of my students'."

Police arrested a 32-year-old man.