A student at Evergreen High School opened fire Wednesday afternoon, shooting two fellow students before fatally shooting himself, authorities said.
The shooting occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. at the school in the Denver suburbs, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said. The student who opened fire—a 16-year-old male and believed to be a school student—later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Two students were wounded in the shooting. One was critically injured and taken to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood; the other sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was admitted to the same facility.
According to Kelley, shots were fired both inside and outside the school building. Law enforcement officers reached the scene within two minutes and located the shooter inside five minutes of arrival. No responding officers fired their weapons during the incident.
Evergreen High, which serves approximately 900 students in the foothills about 28 miles southwest of Denver, was secured and swept by law enforcement. The school district set up a reunification center at nearby Bergen Meadow Elementary School, where hundreds of parents gathered to reunite with their children.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a statement expressing heartbreak over the shooting and pledged support from state law enforcement and mental health services. “This kind of violence has absolutely no place in Colorado or anywhere—especially in our schools, where kids should feel safe,” Polis said.
The Jefferson County Education Association, representing local educators, emphasized the community’s ongoing trauma, particularly given memories of Columbine. The union called on leaders at all levels to take concrete action to curb gun violence in schools.
