Evergreen High School Shooter Identified as 16-Year-Old Desmond Holly; Authorities Confirm Teen Died by Suicide After Injuring Two Students, as Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Motive and a Traumatized Community Begins to Grieve

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 16-year-old Desmond Holly opened fire in a school hallway Wednesday morning, wounding two fellow students before turning the gun on himself.

The shooting, which sent shockwaves from the close-knit mountain community to the state capitol, shattered the morning calm just after classes began, transforming a place of learning into a scene of terror and tragedy.

As the two injured students recover in a Denver-area hospital, a traumatized community is left to grapple with the devastating aftermath and the search for a motive that drove a teenage boy to commit such a desperate and violent act.

The tragedy is made all the more poignant as it unfolds on September 11th, a day of national mourning, forcing the residents of Evergreen to confront their own fresh and intimate sorrow under the shadow of a nation’s collective memory of loss.

A Morning of Terror

Wednesday, September 10th, began like any other school day at Evergreen High. Students navigated the familiar hallways, catching up with friends before the first bell. At approximately 8:15 a.m. MDT, that routine was irrevocably broken.

According to the timeline provided by Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Wagner in a press conference Thursday morning, Desmond Holly entered a second-floor hallway near the school’s science wing, armed with a handgun. Without warning, he opened fire.

The sharp, percussive sounds sent an immediate wave of panic through the school. Students and teachers, drilled for this exact scenario, reacted in an instant. The school’s intercom system blared the now-ubiquitous lockdown command: “Lockdown, Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.” Doors were slammed shut and barricaded, lights were extinguished, and students huddled in silent terror in darkened classrooms and closets.

“You hear the pops, and at first, your brain doesn’t want to believe it,” said a junior who was in a nearby classroom. “But then you hear the screaming. That’s when it gets real. Our teacher didn’t hesitate; she just screamed ‘Get in the corner!’ and started shoving desks against the door. We sat there for what felt like forever, just listening and praying.”

The school’s dedicated School Resource Officer (SRO), a deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, was on-site and responded to the sound of gunfire within a minute. As the deputy moved cautiously toward the location of the shooting, he found a scene of chaos and tragedy.

Two students were down, suffering from gunshot wounds. A short distance away, he found Desmond Holly, who had succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Within minutes, the school was swarmed by a massive law enforcement contingent from the Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado State Patrol, and surrounding agencies. A methodical, room-by-room clearing of the campus began as paramedics rushed in to provide life-saving aid to the two victims.

The Victims: A Fight for Recovery

The two students injured in the attack, whose names are being withheld out of respect for their families’ privacy, were transported by helicopter to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, a Level I Trauma Center.

Hospital officials confirmed Thursday that a 17-year-old female student is in stable condition. She sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder and underwent surgery Wednesday afternoon. Her injuries are described as serious but not life-threatening.

The second victim, a 16-year-old male student, remains in the intensive care unit. He suffered a more critical wound to the abdomen and was in surgery for several hours. A hospital spokesperson stated he is in critical but stable condition. “He has a long road ahead of him, but he is a fighter,” a statement from his family read.

“We are immensely grateful for the outpouring of support from the community and for the incredible medical team caring for our son. We ask for privacy as we focus on his healing.”

The news of their conditions has been a focal point for a community desperate for a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.

With the immediate threat neutralized, the investigation has now turned inward, focusing on the life of Desmond Holly. Investigators are undertaking the grim task of piecing together a psychological portrait of the 16-year-old to understand what could have motivated the attack.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the FBI, executed a search warrant on Holly’s home Wednesday evening, collecting personal computers, journals, and other evidence.

Early accounts from classmates paint a complex and heart-wrenching picture of a quiet and withdrawn teenager. Several students described him as a “loner” who rarely spoke in class and often ate lunch by himself. Some noted a change in his demeanor over the past year, saying he seemed more isolated and despondent.

“He was always just… there. He never caused trouble, but he also never really connected with anyone,” one student who shared a class with Holly said. “It’s terrifying to think that someone you see every day could be in so much pain, and nobody knew.”

Investigators are meticulously combing through Holly’s social media presence and online activity for any warning signs or expressions of intent. Sheriff Wagner cautioned against speculation but confirmed that the investigation is exploring all possible factors, including bullying, mental health issues, and personal grievances.

“There is no simple answer here,” Sheriff Wagner stated. “Our mission now is to provide answers to the families of the victims and to this community. We need to understand the ‘why’ behind this horrific act, not to excuse it, but to learn from it and, God willing, prevent it from ever happening again.”

A Community in Shock and Solidarity

The shooting has pierced the heart of Evergreen, a town of about 9,000 residents nestled in the foothills west of Denver, known for its scenic beauty and strong sense of community. The emotional fallout was palpable at the designated reunification center set up at a nearby middle school on Wednesday, where hundreds of anxious parents waited for hours to be reunited with their children. The reunions were scenes of raw emotion—tears, desperate hugs, and the overwhelming relief of a nightmare ending.

“It’s the call every parent fears,” said one mother, clutching her daughter’s arm. “For three hours, I didn’t know if she was safe. It was the worst three hours of my life.”

On Thursday, that fear had morphed into a collective sense of grief. Jefferson County Public Schools announced that all schools in the Evergreen area would be closed for the remainder of the week to “allow our students, staff, and families time to process this trauma.” Grief counselors and mental health professionals have been made available for anyone in the community.

The timing of the tragedy on the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks has added a profound layer of sorrow. Governor Jared Polis addressed the state, touching on the cruel coincidence.

“It is a particularly cruel irony that on a day our nation comes together to remember the thousands of innocent lives lost to an act of unimaginable hate, a Colorado community is now faced with its own senseless tragedy,” Governor Polis said. “Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Evergreen community. We stand with you, we grieve with you, and we will provide every resource necessary to help you heal.”

A community-wide candlelight vigil is planned for Friday evening at the Evergreen Lake House, where residents will gather to mourn, to pray for the injured students, and to begin the long and arduous process of healing. Makeshift memorials of flowers, balloons, and handwritten notes have already begun to appear near the entrance to the high school, a testament to a town united in its heartbreak.

As the investigation continues, the people of Evergreen are left to navigate a landscape of shared trauma, supporting one another as they face the difficult days ahead. The silence in the school’s hallways is a somber reminder of what was lost, while the fight for life in a hospital room miles away represents the enduring hope to which they all cling.