Evergreen High School in Colorado saw a major shooting, leaving one student dead and two injured. The shooter, a male student, also died after the incident.
The student who opened fire Wednesday at Evergreen High School, injuring two other students, died Wednesday night of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
One student remained in critical condition, according to doctors, while another had non-life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff said the shooter was a 16-year-old male.
He had fired a revolver at students at 12:24 p.m. Wednesday, bringing scores of first responders to the school.
Three students — including the shooter — were treated at CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital for gunshot wounds. A fourth student took themselves to the hospital with injuries sustained while escaping the high school and fleeing to a nearby elementary school.
“This is the scariest thing you could ever think could happen,” said Jacki Kelley, public information officer with Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “Honestly, I don’t know if our suspect is old enough to even drive.”
The sheriff’s office said calls of an active shooter were received around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Officers were at the school in two minutes, Kelly said, and encountered the shooter within five minutes. Kelley said officers did not discharge their guns during the encounter.
Law enforcement officers from across the metro area offered services, or even drove up unasked to the foothills to help at the scene, Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli said.
Federal officials also helped with the dozens of student interviews and the forensic investigation at the two crime scenes at the school — shootings occurred on the inside and the outside of the building.
Parents were asked to go to Bergen Meadow Elementary School at 1928 Hiwan Dr. to reunite with their students. Hundreds of parents waited in a line at the school until they met their students.
What happened during the Evergreen school shooting?
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, officers received the first emergency call at approximately 12:24 pm. local time. When deputies arrived, they found multiple students injured and quickly secured the scene.
Authorities confirmed that the suspected gunman of the Colorado school shooting, also a student at the school, used a revolver handgun to target fellow pupils. The sheriff’s office stated that the suspect was “engaged and neutralised” shortly after the attack, though they did not clarify whether the injuries sustained by the shooter were self-inflicted.
“This is the scariest thing you could imagine happening in a school,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley, speaking at a press briefing.
Colorado Shooting: How many people were injured?
Three students are in critical condition and were rushed to St Anthony Hospital, according to a hospital representative. A fourth student was also taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries.
The suspected shooter of the Colorado school shooting was transported to a local medical facility under police supervision. Authorities have not disclosed the suspect’s age or gender, though Kelley hinted that the individual might be very young, remarking:
“I don’t know if our suspect is even old enough to drive.”
Evergreen High School was immediately placed on lockdown following the shooting. Hundreds of armed officers swept through the campus room by room to ensure the threat was fully contained.
Later in the afternoon, officials confirmed the lockdown had been lifted, though investigations remain active. Police are now searching the suspect’s home and school locker after obtaining a warrant.
Colorado Shooting: FBI responds as Kash Patel issues statement
The Colorado school shooting has drawn a national response, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joining the investigation.
FBI Director Kash Patel issued a statement acknowledging the gravity of the situation:
“The FBI is aware of the tragic events unfolding near Denver and is fully supporting local authorities to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
As part of safety measures, parents were instructed to gather at Bergen Meadow Elementary School, where students were being safely reunited with their families.
Officials have urged parents and community members to remain patient as authorities work to gather accurate information and provide updates.
Law enforcement officers are continuing to investigate the motive behind the attack. Authorities have not yet released any information about the suspect’s background, potential grievances, or how the firearm was obtained.
Jefferson County Sheriff confirmed the gunman used a revolver
Jacki Kelley, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed the suspect used a revolver and that the attack occurred both inside and outside the school building. “I can tell you that I don’t believe law enforcement fired any rounds today. So, we still need to learn exactly what happened to that suspect and why he was injured the way that he is,” she told Denver 7.
The first 911 call came in at 12:24 p.m., and law enforcement quickly responded. “We’re law enforcement. Police and fire just show up. When you hear the words ‘active shooter,’ and you know that there are kids involved, we’re coming,” Kelley added.
By 12:40 p.m., the sheriff’s office had issued an “active assailant” alert and conducted a room-to-room search of the school. More than 100 officers from across the region joined the operation.
Students were later reunited with parents at Bergen Meadow Elementary School, where a resource center will also be available in the coming days with victim advocates, mental health professionals, and school staff on hand.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called the attack a “senseless act of violence” and vowed state support for the community.
FBI Director Kash Patel also confirmed, “FBI is on scene and in full support of local authorities to ensure everyone’s safety.”
The school, which enrolls more than 900 students, will also support investigators as they interview witnesses.
‘Colorado has lived through this pain too many times’
The Jefferson County Education Association, a teachers union in the district, said in a statement that every time a school shooting happens, it retraumatizes the community that lived through the Columbine shooting in 1999.
“Colorado has lived through this pain too many times. We cannot become numb. We cannot accept this as normal. We demand that our leaders at every level — local, state, and national — take real, meaningful action to end the epidemic of gun violence in our schools,” the association’s leaders said in a statement.
Gov. Jared Polis offered his condolences to the victims and their families in a statement.
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families as they grapple with this senseless act of violence. I, the Evergreen Community, and the entire State of Colorado are devastated by this tragedy and will keep the victims, as well as their friends and family, in our thoughts,” Polis wrote. “State law enforcement is assisting at the scene, and I am offering the assistance of my administration in the days ahead to get children and families the resources needed to cope with this terrible act of violence.
This kind of violence has absolutely no place in Colorado or anywhere, especially our schools, where kids should feel safe to learn and grow. No family should ever fear for their child’s life as they send them to school. I will continue to monitor and receive updates from my public safety team.”
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