3 teenagers wounded in shooting at Colorado high school

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Three teens were critically wounded Wednesday in a shooting at a high school in the foothills of suburban Denver, including the suspected shooter, authorities said.

The shooting was reported around 12:30 p.m. at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, about 30 miles west of Denver, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said.

It is not clear what led up to the shooting or how the suspected shooter, believed to be a student at the school, was shot. None of the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting is believed to have fired any shots, Kelley said.

The shooting happened on school grounds, but it wasn’t immediately known whether it was inside the school building, she said. Investigators don’t believe there is any further threat to the community, she said.

All three teens taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado, were shot, CEO Kevin Cullinan said. The high school with more than 900 students is largely surrounded by forest. It is about a mile from the center of Evergreen, which has a population of 9,300 people.

Parents of Evergreen High School students were told to go to an elementary school to reunite with their children.

The 16-year-old who shot and wounded two students at his high school in Evergreen, Colorado, before turning the gun on himself was "radicalized by an extremist network," the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

The office did not provide details on the so-called radicalization of the shooter, identified as Desmond Holly. A spokesperson for the office, Jacki Kelley, said authorities were “looking for a motive but still don’t have one yet.”

Officials said details about the revolver used in the shooting and how Holly obtained it were unclear.

The 16-year-old boy who shot two students and then himself at Evergreen High School this week appeared to espouse white supremacist views online and showed an interest in mass shooters in the days before the attack.

Social media accounts that appear to be connected to shooter Desmond Holly are littered with references to mass shootings and antisemitic views, The Denver Post found.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley on Thursday said Desmond had been “radicalized through an extremist network,” but declined to offer any additional details. The public accounts offer some insight into what that radicalization might have included.

In one photo posted on TikTok five days ago, Desmond appears to be wearing a black T-shirt with the word “Wrath” written in red across the chest — similar to what one of the attackers wore in the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, also in Jefferson County. The same post also includes an image of the 15-year-old who killed two people and injured six more at a Madison, Wisconsin, school in December.

A post on X about an hour before Wednesday’s attack shows an image of a hand holding a revolver — the type of weapon that authorities confirmed Desmond used during the attack. Representatives for the sheriff’s office did not answer specific questions about the social media accounts.

The accounts also include references to Holocaust denial, and the name of one of the accounts appeared to end with a reference to a prominent white supremacist slogan. That account reposted several videos showing school shooting scenes from movies, as well as another video that appeared to show the two Columbine shooters taking target shots at bowling pins. Other videos the account reposted were explicitly antisemitic or depicted people in Nazi uniforms.

Sheriff’s officials on Thursday said Desmond shot two of his schoolmates — including 18-year-old Matthew Silverstone — before turning the gun on himself. Desmond later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The attack at the school started at 12:24 p.m. Wednesday. Students ran and hid, hunkering down in classrooms behind locked doors.

Kai Taylor, a 15-year-old sophomore, was eating lunch with friends outside the school in the Jefferson County foothills when he got a frantic call from his twin sister asking if he was OK.

He said he laughed and told her he was fine, but she grew more serious, saying there was an active shooter at the school and she needed to know if he was hurt.

Kai’s heart dropped, he said. Then he saw his peers running.

Armed with a revolver, Desmond systematically reloaded and fired as he wandered the three-level school, trying to find new targets, Kelley said. His exact path through Evergreen High is not yet known, she said, but the teen shooter’s movements were captured by the school’s surveillance cameras. That video is being reviewed by investigators.

“He would fire and reload, fire and reload, fire reload,” Kelley said. “This went on and on.”

The school’s lockdown procedures prevented the shooter from reaching many of the students, but two were critically injured and are being treated at Denver-area hospitals, Kelley said.

Silverstone’s family issued a statement through the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday afternoon requesting privacy.

“The family appreciates the community’s concern and support, but as we remain focused on our loved one’s recovery, we respectfully request privacy as we continue to heal and navigate the road ahead,” the statement said.

Sheriff’s officials said later Thursday that the family of the second victim, who has not been publicly identified, sought privacy, and that the agency would not be releasing a photo or family statement.

Paramedics took both victims and Desmond to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, where Desmond later died from his injuries.

One victim remained in critical condition at St. Anthony Hospital, Dr. Brian Blackwood said in a news briefing Thursday. The second victim was transferred to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, where that student remained in critical condition Thursday, hospital officials said in a statement.

One victim was shot inside the school and the other was shot in the street behind Evergreen High while attempting to flee, Kelley said.

I was so scared’
Kai was one of the dozens of students who fled the high school. He said he took off running toward a nearby neighborhood. He heard a gunshot and willed himself to run faster.

“I felt like I was going limp,” he said. “I felt like I was going to fall over. I was so scared.”

His twin sister had run in the opposite direction. Kai felt panicked that he had lost track of her.

“I was really worried for my sister’s safety,” he said.

He and his friends sheltered in the home of a nearby neighbor.

Kai is accustomed to annual active shooting drills. He never expected to have to use the information he learned./

‘Finding spent rounds, unspent rounds’
Authorities are still determining Desmond’s motive and said he brought a significant amount of ammunition with him to the school, where he fired in several areas with a revolver. Kelley said she did not know the total number of shots he fired.

“The reason we have so many crime scene areas inside is because we have windows shot out, we have lockers that were shot up, we’re finding spent rounds, unspent rounds,” Kelley said. “It’s a huge area.”

Hundreds of law enforcement officers responded Wednesday to Evergreen High School at 29300 Buffalo Park Road. Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies were on the scene just minutes after the first 911 call.

A school resource officer was not at Evergreen High when the shooting started. Kelley said the school’s full-time deputy is on medical leave, and multiple part-time officers are filling in the gap.

The officer working Wednesday was dispatched to a nearby accident between 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., a routine task for school resource officers, Kelley said. The officer did not break policy, she said.

Desmond lived with his family in a sprawling mountain home, tucked away on a private lane near Kittridge, property records show. His parents and other family members did not return requests for comment Thursday. Kelley said investigators will explore how Desmond accessed the gun and whether his parents could face criminal charges.

Law enforcement searched the home Wednesday evening, but the details of what they found inside were not available Thursday, Kelley said. Investigators also have warrants to search Desmond’s phone and locker.

“We can’t say yet whether this feels more targeted or more random,” Kelley said. “But… it seems like it could be a bit of both.”

The family of one of the students hurt in the shooting at Evergreen High School last week is sharing his story, and some words from his friends about the heroic actions he took to help others in the way of danger.

In a video shared by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, Matthew Silverstone’s uncle, Kris Koehler, said that he is telling his nephew’s story on behalf of their family with hopes to let the community and world know the “great, kind, gentle kid that Matthew is.”

Matthew is not only my nephew, but he’s now my hero,” Koehler said.

As of Wednesday, a week after the shooting and eight days after his 18th birthday, Silverstone remains in hospital care in critical but stable condition. Koehler said that he is fighting for his life, and according to a statement from the family, doctors said that he will likely need lifelong, full-time care.

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“Every day we have glimmers of hope, we take every little baby step in the right direction and celebrate it,” Koehler said. “It’s great when he will squeeze a hand, but at the same time, it’s so painful to see that anyone — especially a kid, but anyone — would have to endure that.”

Koehler said that Silverstone was very close to his mom, who adopted him and his two siblings from foster care. He was six months old and had endured “a lot of abuse,” Koehler said.

“He grew into this just wonderful, kind, gentle human being. To know that history, to know that that’s the start he had, makes all of this just a bit even more unfair,” Koehler said. “No one deserves this, no one, but given that history, especially Matthew.”

Silverstone’s mom has not left the side of his hospital bed from the start for fear that if something were to happen, “she wants to be right there,” Koehler said.

Matthew is described as an ordinary teenage boy who loves to eat, spend time with friends and hang out at the skate park until he is told to go home. Koehler said that he has absorbed kindness and gentleness from his mom and sisters.

Friends send letters thanking Silverstone for heroism
The shooting happened during lunchtime, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said this resulted in chaos with many students running in an effort to flee from danger.

Several of Silverstone’s friends have sent letters, many of which talk about his gentleness, kindness and lovingness, Keohler said. Some told stories of his actions during the shooting, thanking him for his heroic acts.

“I was in the building with all this, and I heard from many about how you were telling people to get away when they were coming back from lunch. I knew many of these people and I cannot thank you enough for getting them out of there. You’re truly a hero, and such a kind person, so please get better soon,” one letter read.

Thank you for your quick thinking and action during our emergency. So many of us owe our safety to you. It is truly an honor to be your classmate. You deserve the world and more. I’m so sorry that you have to go through this. No one deserves to have this happen to them. Stay strong, we are all rooting for you!” Another letter read.

Uncle asks for support with long road to recovery ahead
Koehler said one of the things that has been overwhelming in a positive way is the outpouring of support from the community.

He said it is going to be a long road to recovery, and the family is coming to grips with what could potentially become a lifelong recovery that comes with added needs and burdens on Silverstone’s mother.

The family released the following statement:

”We are overwhelmed by the amazing outpouring of love and support we have received from family, friends, the Evergreen community, and most amazingly, Matthew’s fellow students. Against all odds, Matthew has survived and remains in critical condition. The cards, notes, meals, phone calls, prayers, and messages we are receiving lift our spirits as we deal with this tragic new reality.

All of us are heartbroken by what happened, but we are also deeply grateful that Matthew survived. Doctors have let us know that Matthew will likely require lifelong, full-time care. Matthew’s mother, Paige, is a single parent who will now need to become his primary caregiver. We anticipate Matthew and Paige will be faced with many critical needs including extraordinary medical expenses, making accessibility modifications at home, acquiring specialized equipment, accessible transportation, and all of these will require financial support.

To help meet these needs, our family has launched a GoFundMe campaign. The community’s support – whether through donations, prayers, or simply sharing this fundraiser – means everything to us. While we never thought we would need to ask for help, we must rely on the strength of neighbors, friends, and caring community members to help us through this life-altering tragedy.”

Two students were injured in the shooting, but the sheriff’s office said that the other victim’s family has asked for privacy during this time

Students at Thompson Valley High School marched out of their classrooms Monday to speak out about safety in schools and show their solidarity for Evergreen High School following last week’s shooting.

“Everyone was coming together and uniting, then we were told we received threats that people were going to come to our protest and shoot us while we were actively protesting,” said Natalie Farney, a junior at the school.

Natalie explained she was one of the organizers of the march and that when she first started hearing about the alleged threats, she originally thought they were rumors.

Thompson School District R-2J told FOX31 on Tuesday that approximately 50 students participated.

“I went and talked to the campus officer and he said, ‘Yes, these threats are real, you will want to wrap this up soon,'” Natalie relayed.

She said many students had signs in hand during the protest. She said the plan was always to remain peaceful and help pass along their voice.

Once they got home, Kristie took to TikTok and posted a video that gained a lot of traction, looking for change when it comes to sending their students off to school every day.

“They called in security, law enforcement to make sure they were safe, but still with flashing lights and a beautiful scene, someone had to go and make a threat out of it,” Kristie said.

FOX31 reached reached out to the Loveland Police Department, which sent us the following information:

“As of now, this remains an active investigation under case number LP25-0007844. While legitimacy has not yet been confirmed, no possibility is being dismissed. We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness. Out of an abundance of caution, we have increased school security and are actively monitoring all related complaints while working to gather evidence.”

“Something needs to be done to stop these shootings. No one should walk into a place of education scared,” Natalie said.

Hundreds of students at Conifer High School walked out of class Wednesday to show solidarity with Evergreen High School, just one week after the shooting.

“My mom is a teacher at Evergreen,” said Evelyn Seevers, a senior at Conifer High School who organized the walk out on Wednesday. “She was there and it wasn’t connecting to me she was in danger.”

Seevers said she decided to plan the walk out at her school when they realized students at Evergreen, since class was canceled for the week, had nowhere to protest. She said they invited students from Evergreen to join.

“It occurred to me my friends at Evergreen have nowhere to walk out, they aren’t in school and we wanted them to have a safe place to protest,” Seevers said.

The students marched from the school campus, just about a mile down to the “Staples Center” strip mall and lined up on the west side of Highway 285. They showed their protest signs as cars drove by.

Students should be able to go to school and feel safe,” Seevers said.

Conifer High School is also in the Jefferson County School District and was placed on lockdown during the shooting.

We’re active rivals, we are school rivals but we’ve got their backs they are our family we are doing this cause we love them and support them,” Seevers said. “We are terrified for them and they are what pushed us into action and that’s our message to them.”

The students hoped the adults driving by on the road saw their message and took it as a step towards change.

“We are ready for this to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Seever said. “We want to be a community worrying about my math class grades, not worrying about my peers having guns.”

The family of one of the students wounded in a Colorado school shooting earlier this month said their son confronted the shooter with a friend, potentially preventing a larger tragedy.

Matthew Silverstone, 18, was previously identified by authorities as one of the victims, and his family has asked for privacy.

The family of the other injured student has decided to remain anonymous for now, but it shared a statement Thursday via the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office recounting their child's experience.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the validity of the information shared in the family’s statement in an email to NBC News on Friday morning.

The 14-year-old unidentified student "endured the unimaginable," his family said. He remains in the hospital after suffering gunshot injuries and has undergone multiple surgeries.

He had a "face-to-face encounter with a violent school shooter filled with anger and hatred," the family said, during which their son "showed a level of bravery, strength, and will to survive that no child should ever be asked to display."

According to the family, the student and his friend confronted the shooter during the attack before the school locked down or alarms were set off. The family said their son's actions likely gave other students more time to flee.

The student was shot at close range, the family said, but was able to still run from the school with his friend to save their lives. On their way out, he and his friend told classmates that there was a student with a gun.

When he exited the building, the family said the student got immediate medical care from an EMT firefighter who was working there.

After his initial surgeries, the student was able to communicate in writing. His family said his first questions were about the well-being of his friends, classmates, teachers, family and the other victim — Silverstone.

"His mind and messages were clear: The adults responsible for protecting children must take real, meaningful action so that no child or family endures this kind of horror — in school or anywhere," the family's statement said. "Character is proven when tested, and our son showed and continues to show his loving, caring heart and principled mind."

The family thanked a number of those who helped save their son's life, from the librarian who pointed him to safety, to the medical team who has cared for him from the moments after he was shot.

The student has a long road to recovery, his family said, without giving further information on his injuries.

"His and our wish is that real change will come from it, finally," the family said of the shooting. They added that they are committed to working to ensure "the long-term safety and wellbeing of all our children."

"Support for children, families and communities irrevocably affected by gun violence in schools often fades long before victims heal. Recovery takes time far beyond news cycles," the family said. "These children need more than momentary sympathy and support; they need lasting commitment.