An 18-year-old student 'sacrificed' himself by charging at a gunman in a selfless act to save other students during a school shooting in the US.

Kendrick Ray Castillo was killed when two students opened fire at a high school in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday.

Eight other students were injured during the incident at the Highland Ranch Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) School.

Student Cece Bedard said she broke down in tears when she heard her long-time friend had died, but she said she was not surprised at his selfless act.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he would have done anything he thought he could have to help anyone," Bedard said.

Witnesses said Castillo, who was due to graduate from the Colorado high school in three days, charged one of the shooters.

"Kendrick lunged at him," senior Nui Giasolli told NBC News, referring to the older of the two shooting suspects, Devon Erickson, 18, who was being held on Wednesday on murder and attempted-murder charges.

"He shot Kendrick, giving all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room to escape,'' Giasolli said.

Earlier, 18-year-old defendant sat silently with his head bowed and his hands shackled to his waist during an appearance at a Colorado courthouse today

It was not immediately clear whether his accused accomplice, who is under the age of 18, would be charged in adult court or as a juvenile.

When they were in middle school, Castillo and Bedard both volunteered with their fathers at the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men's community service organization.

Castillo loved tagging along with his father to volunteer with the Knights of Columbus, whether it involved carrying heavy crates of fruit for a peach drive or setting up senior lunches.

He was especially good at connecting with the elderly people he served, Bedard said.

"He was always there earlier than I was and was always there later than I was," she said.

His friends remember Castillo as a goofy jokester, although his humor was never at anyone's expense, Bedard said.

He had a strong sense of self and did not care what other people thought of him, a trait that made him stand out among his peers.

Castillo was enthusiastic about robotics and was a member of a regional robotics team, another community that was mourning his loss on Wednesday.

"We're heartbroken by the death of Kendrick Castillo, a victim of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting in Littleton, Colorado.Kendrick was a member of @Frc4418, of which his father is Lead Mentor," tweeted FIRST, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing youth in STEM.

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