Eastwood has a history of mental problems. After an arrest in 2002, for example, he was placed on a mental health hold because he thought voices were coming from a Nielsen ratings box attached to his television -- and he continued to hear such voices in the years that followed. He was also reportedly afraid imaginary creatures were stealing food from his stomach.
Against this backdrop, Eastwood left the Hudson home he shared with his dad around midday on February 23, armed with a loaded hunting rifle he took from his father's closet. After stops at Dick's Sporting Goods to buy more ammo and lunch at a McDonald's, he arrived at Deer Creek and parked in a lot across the street from the school. A custodian saw him there and encouraged him to check in at the office, which he did, obtaining a visitor's badge. When the school bell rang at 3:05 p.m., kids began exiting the school. Eastwood soon approached a group of girls and asked if they went to school there. After one answered in the affirmative, he revealed his rifle and fired a shot, striking Reagan Weber in the arm.As the girls ran, Eastwood reloaded and squeezed off another shot, this time hitting Matt Thieu, who suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs. But before any more children were injured, Dr. David Benke, a math teacher at Deer Creek, tackled Eastwood and held him down until authorities arrived.
While in custody, Eastwood exhibited plenty of bizarre behavior -- like picking at his skin in an attempt to remove the "transforming forces" from his body. But he also told officers that he'd attended Deer Creek for a time back in 1991, after his parents were divorced, and felt ostracized and bullied by "rich kids."
Eastwood entered a not-guilty-by-insanity plea the following July, and doctors diagnosed him as a schizophrenic whose actions were dictated by delusions and audio hallucinations -- those voices. And while prosecutors made it clear they thought Eastwood had acted deliberately on that February day, the jury disagreed. He's now expected to remain at a state mental institution until such time as he's deemed sane.Editor's Picks
If ever. Look below to see a larger version of Eastwood's mug shot.
More from our Colorado Crimes archive: "Bruco Eastwood wins Broncos DVD -- but accused Deer Creek Middle School shooter will have a tough time claiming his prize."
