Colo. school shooting suspect says he heard voices

3/12/2010 10:28:00 AM

GOLDEN, Colo. – The man accused of shooting and wounding two students at a Colorado middle school told investigators he was hearing voices after his arrest and was trying to fend off "transforming forces" from his body, according to an arrest affidavit released Friday.

Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood, 32, is charged with attempted murder and other counts in the Feb. 23 shooting at Deer Creek Middle School in Jefferson County outside Denver.

Eastwood was tackled by a teacher and arrested. He's being held in lieu of $1 million cash bail and hasn't entered a plea.

The arrest affidavit doesn't mention any motive for the shootings. It says Eastwood went inside the school earlier that day, got a visitor pass and then returned to his car.

"It was there he made his final decision to shoot at students at the school," the affidavit says.

Eastwood told investigators he approached a group of students in front of the school, asked them if they liked going to Deer Creek and then raised his father's hunting rifle and fired at a girl, the affidavit says.

He said he didn't know if the girl was hit because she turned and ran. Eastwood said he then fired at a boy who had his back turned, the affidavit says.

The wounded students were eighth-graders Reagan Weber and Matt Thieu. Both are recovering.

After his arrest, Eastwood appeared to be picking things from his skin and pushing something away while deputies were interviewing him, the affidavit says.

"When asked about these motions, Bruco indicated he was trying to remove what he called transforming forces from his body," the affidavit said.

Eastwood's father, War Eagle Eastwood, has said he believes his son suffers from schizophrenia.