Alec McKinney, who has been identified as one of the two students accused in the mass shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Douglas County, Colorado, railed about “STEM kids” on social media and was, according to The Denver Channel transgender and transitioning from female to male.

The shooting left a heroic teen, Kendrick Castillo, dead and eight others injured. McKinney is identified in Douglas County court records as Maya Elizabeth McKinney and was labeled a “juvenile female” by the sheriff in a press conference, but Heavy has learned that McKinney goes by Alec McKinney and identifies as male.

The Denver Post has confirmed that McKinney is the juvenile suspect in the shooting. Authorities gave the name of the adult male suspect as 18-year-old Devon Erickson. (Note: You can see a round up of heroes in mass shooting tragedies, including Highlands Ranch, here.)

The judge wouldn’t allow photos or video at McKinney’s first court hearing on Wednesday. However, Noelle Phillips of The Denver Post wrote on Twitter that McKinney’s attorney confirmed that McKinney goes by the name Alec and uses the pronoun he; Denver7 reported through sources that McKinney is transgender. A friend confirmed this on social media and wrote that McKinney didn’t get the support he needed.

On social media, Heavy has learned, McKinney tweeted angrily about STEM students. His Twitter profile picture shows him with Erickson, the other accused shooter. McKinney also posted that his mother didn’t like the “new Alec.”

“F*CK stem kids i swear to f*cking god,” Alec wrote on his Twitter page in January. He wrote in April: “When you’re putting yourself in life threatening danger” without explaining but added a kiss emoji.

McKinney referred to STEM kids with an expletive on his “finsta” account. The posts on that account are privatized.

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