The Jeffco Sheriff’s Office said the shooting suspect – a teenage boy who attends the high school – is among those who were shot.
EVERGREEN, Colo. — Three students, including the shooting suspect, were injured in a shooting Wednesday afternoon at Evergreen High School, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
One of the students has injuries that are not life-threatening, and the other two are in critical condition, said Dr. Brian Blackwood, with St. Anthony’s Hospital. He said all three had gunshot wounds and that family members have been updated on their conditions.
The shooting was first reported at 12:34 p.m. Wednesday, said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley. The shooting happened on school grounds, with shooting scenes both inside and outside the school building. The school had no school resource officer there, but deputies were on scene in two minutes and had contacted the shooter within five minutes, she said.
Kelley said that one of the three people injured was the shooting suspect – a teenage boy who is an Evergreen High School student. The weapon used was a handgun. Kelley said she couldn’t answer questions on who shot the suspect, due to the investigation, but that there’s no indication law enforcement fired any shots. She also said the only gun found was the shooter’s.
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 Evergreen High School.
The reunification center for families was Bergen Meadow Elementary School, at 1928 S. Hiwon Drive. 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 fled from the shooting to many locations, but she said reunification between students and parents was almost complete.
Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli said at at a news briefing that the investigation into the shooting will possibly 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 and is getting live updates.
“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.”