Authorities said a boy opened fire with a handgun at a high school near Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday, wounding two students before killing himself.
The shooting took place shortly before 12:30 p.m. local time at Evergreen High School in the Colorado foothills, about 28 miles southwest of Denver, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Jacki Kelley, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, the suspect is believed to be a student at the school. His identity has not been revealed.
One of the two students who were shot is in critical condition at CommonSpirit St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood. The second student was also at St. Anthony’s, and their condition was listed as non-life threatening. Their identity has not been revealed.
Kelley stated that deputies responded to multiple 911 calls and made contact with the shooter within five minutes. However, she stated that no law enforcement officers fired their weapons.
“The first on scene — they were at the school — were pretty quick to find our suspect,” she said.
According to Kelly, a preliminary investigation revealed that the shooting occurred both inside and outside the school building, and that the suspect used a handgun. Several students witnessed the shooting. The suspect had self-inflicted gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office confirmed on social media.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the Denver metro area rushed to help. Kelley stated that they formed multiple teams and, following the initial chaos, cleared the school room by room. The scene was declared safe after that.
At Bergen Meadow Elementary School, Jefferson County Schools has established a reunification center for parents and guardians. By nightfall, the center had closed, and the sheriff’s office posted on social media: “If you are a parent who has yet to locate your child, please call Jeffcom 911 at 303-980-7300.”
“Reunification, I don’t know if it went really well, it was bumpy because (after the shots were fired) we had kids running in every direction — to the library, to the substation, to a couple different schools,” Kelley told reporters.
“One of the most pressing concerns… was ensuring that these students reunited with their families,” said Sheriff Reggie Marinelli. “So that reunification was huge for us.
As many of you, I’m sure, experienced, getting up here — with the road conditions, with all of the first responders getting up here — it was a little congested, but we made it work because of all that preparation and training that we had been doing for many years.”
A mother who spoke with CBS Colorado stated that her son was near a door when the shooting occurred. The Evergreen High School freshman was in the lunchroom when he reported hearing 15 to 30 gunshots. Just after 1:30 p.m., people were seen exiting the school in single file.
“I know they had drills at school in the classrooms, but they were during lunch,” the woman explained. “So that’s what, something that many students have said is that they just didn’t even know what to do, like a lockdown drill, with this happening at lunch.”
A student named Silas told CBS Colorado that he and his friends were eating lunch.
“They hid right around the door — wherever they told us to hide,” the sophomore explained.
They hid in corners but eventually confronted the gunman.
“There is a guy there. Silas said, “He yelled some things and shot at us at least twice.”
She suggested that parents talk to their children about this type of scenario and what actions they should take. “Obviously, you don’t expect it to happen at your school or to your child, but it does in your backyard, and you’re shocked. But it appears to be happening so frequently that we should not be surprised, I suppose.”
Her son stated that he wants the victims to know that everyone is thinking of them and hoping they are fine.
Jeffco Public Schools has announced that there will be no school on Thursday and Friday at Evergreen High. On Thursday, all of the following schools in the Evergreen and Conifer areas will be closed:
Bergen Elementary School
Evergreen High School
Evergreen Middle School
Parmalee Elementary School
Wilmot Elementary School
Conifer High School
Elk Creek Elementary School
Marshdale Elementary School
West Jefferson Middle School
“The Jeffco community’s strength is based on mutual care and support. Please communicate with your loved ones,” district officials said in a prepared statement.
On Wednesday night, Jeffco Public Schools Superintendent Tracy Dorland issued a lengthy statement that included the phrase “Safety is our number one priority every day, and yet, here we are once again, grieving with a community over gun violence impacting our students.”
Highway 73 near Evergreen Lake was closed for several hours after the shooting, but it reopened at 5:15 p.m.
Following the shooting, Gov. Jared Polis and several other Colorado elected leaders issued statements of deep concern. “We are all praying for the victims and the entire community,” Polis told the crowd.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the FBI is one of the law enforcement agencies on the scene of the shooting.
“We are aware of the tragic events unfolding near Denver. “The FBI is on the scene and fully supports local authorities to ensure everyone’s safety,” Patel wrote in a post on X.
Officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were also present.
