The Jeffco Sheriff’s Office said the suspect – a teenage boy who attends the high school – shot two others and then himself.
EVERGREEN, Colo. — One person has died after an Evergreen High School student shot two other students and himself on Wednesday at the school, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
It’s unclear if the person who died is the suspected shooter or one of the victims.
One of the students had injuries that are not life-threatening, and the other two were in critical condition, Dr. Brian Blackwood with St. Anthony’s Hospital said Wednesday afternoon.
The hospital told 9NEWS Wednesday evening that one of the students has died of their injuries.
Blackwood said all three had gunshot wounds, and that family members have been updated on their conditions.
The sheriff’s office said the suspect sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect is a teenage boy who is an Evergreen High School student, said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley. He has not been identified.
The shooting was first reported at 12:34 p.m. Wednesday, Kelley said. 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.
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.”