Teen admits to lie about trying to stay

BAILEY, Colo.- A teen lied on national television about trying tostay with six girls taken hostage in a high school classroom becausehe "wanted so much to help them," his mother said Thursday.

Duane Morrison, 53, took the girls hostage at Platte Canyon HighSchool on Wednesday, sexually assaulted some of them and killed onebefore committing suicide, authorities said.

Cassidy Grigg, 16, had told NBC's "Today" show that he was in aclassroom when the gunman tapped him on the shoulder and told him toleave. His father, Tom, gave a similar account of his son's story toThe Associated Press.

The teen said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he told thegunman he wanted to stay and that "he told me that if I didn't gothen he would pretty much kill me."

Larina Grigg said her son told her he made up the story.

"He said, 'Mom, all those kids were my friends and I just wantedso much to help them. ... I guess I just made it up in my mind. Ijust wanted it to be true so bad,' " Larina Grigg said.

She did not say whether her son had witnessed anything at theschool or had heard details elsewhere.

Larina Grigg said her son had never lied to his parents before andcalled it "a blow."

"This is a 16-year-old young man, and I'm telling you, it's takensome real guts to do this. He wants to make this right. This is hiscall," she said.

Teen admits to lie about trying to stay

BAILEY, Colo.- A teen lied on national television about trying tostay with six girls taken hostage in a high school classroom becausehe "wanted so much to help them," his mother said Thursday.

Duane Morrison, 53, took the girls hostage at Platte Canyon HighSchool on Wednesday, sexually assaulted some of them and killed onebefore committing suicide, authorities said.

Cassidy Grigg, 16, had told NBC's "Today" show that he was in aclassroom when the gunman tapped him on the shoulder and told him toleave. His father, Tom, gave a similar account of his son's story toThe Associated Press.

The teen said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he told thegunman he wanted to stay and that "he told me that if I didn't gothen he would pretty much kill me."

Larina Grigg said her son told her he made up the story.

"He said, 'Mom, all those kids were my friends and I just wantedso much to help them. ... I guess I just made it up in my mind. Ijust wanted it to be true so bad,' " Larina Grigg said.

She did not say whether her son had witnessed anything at theschool or had heard details elsewhere.

Larina Grigg said her son had never lied to his parents before andcalled it "a blow."

"This is a 16-year-old young man, and I'm telling you, it's takensome real guts to do this. He wants to make this right. This is hiscall," she said.