The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office identified the 16-year-old who shot two Evergreen High School students and himself.
EVERGREEN, Colo. — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday identified the student responsible for the shooting at Evergreen High School as 16-year-old Desmond Holly.
Holly, who shot two students around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, died of self-inflicted injuries, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
The two victims were transported to St. Anthony’s Hospital. On Thursday morning, hospital staff reported that one of the students remains in critical condition. 9NEWS confirmed that the other student, who had non-life-threatening injuries, was moved to Children’s Hospital Colorado on Wednesday night. It was previously reported by 9NEWS that this student had been discharged from the hospital.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office held a briefing Thursday to provide an update on the investigation. Watch the update below:
Jacki Kelley, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, noted that there was no school resource officer present during the shooting. However, deputies arrived on the scene within two minutes and had contacted the shooter within five minutes.
She said there were scenes inside and outside of the school and that the weapon used was a handgun.
The sheriff’s office said Evergreen High School and multiple other schools will be closed Thursday.
Bergen Meadow Elementary School served as the reunification site for families. Hundreds of parents gathered there to reconnect with their children. Kelley described the process as “bumpy” due to students fleeing to various locations. The reunification center closed around 7 p.m.
Sheriff Reggie Marinelli stated during a press briefing that the investigation into the shooting will likely continue for several days and that the sheriff’s office will provide updates as they are available.
“These are our people. These are our kids,” Marinelli expressed. “We engage with our community every day. We work with the students in our schools every single day. This impacts us deeply.”
Both Marinelli and Evergreen Fire Chief Mike Weege said their agencies had trained and prepared for this, and everyone came together to do their jobs. Many other law enforcement jurisdictions reached out to assist, Marinelli said.
“Evergreen is a strong, resilient community,” Weege said. “I know we’re all going to pull together.”
Evergreen High School, which is in the Jeffco Public Schools district, is in the foothills west of Denver. It has about 900 students, according to state data.
Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement he was monitoring the situation.
“This kind of violence has absolutely no place in Colorado or anywhere, especially our schools, where kids should feel safe to learn and grow,” Polis’ statement said in part. “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.”
Vehicle retrieval
People who have vehicles in the west lot at Evergreen High School will be able to retrieve their vehicles Thursday.
They must go to Bergen Meadows Elementary School between the hours of 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and provide their own keys, according to the sheriff’s office. From there they will be taken by bus to the school and then escorted to their vehicle. Anyone who arrives at the school on their own will be turned away.
If your keys are somewhere within the school, you will not be provided access at this time. The sheriff’s office said they’re asking for just one driver to come.
Victim Resources
The sheriff’s office said its Victim Services Unit will operate a resource and information center at Bergen Meadow Elementary from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
“The center is open to students, faculty, families, and community members. Staff will include victim advocates, mental health professionals, victim compensation representatives, and school personnel,” the sheriff’s office posted on X.
Information about retrieving vehicles and personal items from the school will be available. People who witnessed the shooting and have not spoken with an investigator are asked to go to the resource and information center to do so.
Bergen Meadow Elementary School is located at 1928 S. Hiwan Drive in Evergreen.
