Teen accused in Parkrose gun case pleads not guilty

(Update: Suspect pleads not guilty)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Parkrose High School senior who authorities say brought a shotgun to school but was tackled by a security guard before anyone was hurt pleaded not guilty Monday to gun-related charges.

Angel Granados-Diaz entered the plea during a brief hearing to one felony and three misdemeanors.

Granados-Diaz turned 19 in jail on Monday as classes resumed at Parkrose. He’s being held on $500,000 bail.

Authorities say he was arrested Friday at Parkrose after former University of Oregon football star Keanon Lowe wrestled the gun away from him.

Lowe works at the school as head football and track coach and as a security guard.

No one was injured in the incident. Police are still trying to determine if any shots were fired.

Lowe appeared on Good Morning America over the weekend to talk about how he wrestled the student for the gun Friday as other students ran screaming from the room.

Lowe, who is also a school security guard, says he was in the classroom to take a student to the office when Diaz walked in.

In an interview with “Good Morning America” on Sunday, Lowe, a former Oregon Ducks wide receiver, said everything happened so fast, but that it was also “the longest fraction of a second of my life,” KGW reports

Lowe said he got a call to go out to the fine arts building and described it as just a regular call to go grab a student. He said he walked into the classroom and asked if the student was there, but the student wasn’t in the room.

He said he was only in the classroom for 15 to 20 seconds when the door opened and the student was standing there with a shotgun.

Lowe said his instincts kicked in and he lunged for the gun.

“I feel like I was put in that room in that very moment for a reason,” Lowe said. “To protect those kids.”

Lowe said he and the student struggled for the shotgun as other kids ran out of the back of the classroom. He was able to wrestle the gun away from the student, and then held the shotgun with his right hand while holding the student off with his left hand.

Lowe also said he feels like there are things that have happened in his life that prepared him for that moment. In the interview, he also said he was looking forward to going back to school Monday and was so thankful no one was hurt.