Hostage-Taking Seen as Difficult to Prevent

Safety experts say best defense is trained staff.

The hostage-taking at a rural Colorado high school last week that left one student and the armed intruder dead was a rare event and one that would have been nearly impossible for school leaders to prevent, school safety experts said.

They also said law-enforcement officials on the scene used an appropriate strategy in dealing with the situation.

Colorado authorities said the 54-year-old gunman, Duane Morrison of Denver, held six hostages in a second-floor classroom for several hours on Sept. 27 at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colo. Mr. Morrison killed himself after fatally shooting a 16-year-old hostage, identified as Emily Keyes, as...