The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect – a student at the school – shot two students and then himself.
EVERGREEN, Colo. — The student suspected of shooting two other students and himself at Evergreen High School on Wednesday has died of his self-inflicted injuries, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
The shooting was first reported at 12:24 p.m. on Wednesday. It happened on school grounds, with shooting scenes both inside and outside the school building.
Dr. Brian Blackwood with St. Anthony’s Hospital said Wednesday afternoon that one of the students had injuries that were not life-threatening, and the other two were in critical condition. It was unclear which was the suspect and which were the victims. Blackwood said all three students had gunshot wounds and that family members had been updated on their conditions.
The sheriff’s office said around 8 p.m. Wednesday that the suspect had died. His name has not been released.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said the school had no school resource officer there at the time of the shooting, but deputies were on scene in two minutes and had contacted the shooter within five minutes.
The weapon used was a handgun, Kelley said.
The sheriff’s office said Evergreen High School was cleared, and there is no longer an active threat to students or the community. The school district asked people to stay away from the school.
The reunification center for families was Bergen Meadow Elementary School. Hundreds of parents went to the reunification site, standing in lines and waiting to talk to their children. In a 5 p.m. update, Kelley described the process as “bumpy” because students ran from the shooting to many locations, but she said reunification between students and parents was almost complete.
The reunification center closed around 7 p.m. Any parents who have not located their children are asked to call Jeffcom 911 at 303-980-7300.
Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli said at the news briefing that the investigation into the shooting will likely continue for several days and that the sheriff’s office will release “what we can, when we can.”
“This was our people. This was our kids,” Marinelli said. “We work with our citizens each and every day. We work with the kids in our schools each and every day. This affects us.”
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 that he’s monitoring the situation.
“State Troopers are supporting local law enforcement in responding to this situation,” Polis said. “Students should be able to attend school safely and without fear across our state and nation. We are all praying for the victims and the entire community.”
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 Dr. in Evergreen.