Key Points:
- A student gunman opened fire at Evergreen High School near Denver, wounding two classmates before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- Authorities placed the school on lockdown as more than 100 officers cleared classrooms and secured nearly 900 students.
- The incident marks the 47th U.S. school shooting this year, reigniting concerns about recurring gun violence.
Tragedy Strikes Evergreen High School
A Colorado community is grappling with shock after a student opened fire at Evergreen High School on Wednesday afternoon, wounding two fellow classmates before turning the weapon on himself. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the shooter later died from his self-inflicted injuries.
Gunfire erupted around 12:24 p.m., prompting a swift response from law enforcement. Deputies arrived within minutes, making contact with the armed student, who carried a revolver, inside and outside the school. Officials said three students were rushed to the hospital, including the shooter. One victim remains in critical condition, while the other is stable.
The chaos triggered a full lockdown as more than 100 officers combed through classrooms and hallways, ensuring safety for the 900 students on campus. Parents and relatives anxiously waited at a reunification center nearby. “This is the scariest thing you’d think could ever happen,” said sheriff’s spokesperson Jacki Kelley.
Governor Jared Polis called the shooting “devastating,” adding, “My heart goes out to the victims and their families as they grapple with this senseless act of violence.” Federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, joined local authorities in the investigation.
Community in Shock Amid Familiar Pattern
The Evergreen incident marks the 47th school shooting in the U.S. this year—23 on K-12 campuses and 24 at colleges. Colorado, long scarred by the 1999 Columbine massacre, continues to bear the weight of recurring gun tragedies, from the Aurora theater shooting to the Boulder supermarket attack.
Investigators are piecing together the shooter’s background, seeking warrants for his home and locker. Authorities have not released his identity, only noting he was a student at the school.
For families, the trauma was deeply personal. Mike Webb, whose ex-wife was killed in the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings, said his twin grandsons narrowly escaped. “One of the boys was in the hallway when the shooting broke out and just ran. The other ran into police with weapons drawn,” Webb recalled.
As the community grieves, questions resurface about school safety, mental health, and access to firearms. Evergreen High now joins the long list of American schools turned into crime scenes—a painful reminder of the enduring crisis of gun violence.