EVERGREEN, Colorado — On Sept. 10, 2025, around 12:30 p.m., a student at Evergreen High School in Colorado opened fire on campus.
The shooter, later confirmed by authorities, was 16-year-old Desmond Holly. Holly fired his revolver both inside and outside of the school buildings. His shots wounded two students who were then rushed to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital, both suffering critical injuries. As of the evening of Sept. 11, one victim is now in stable condition and has been discharged from the hospital. However, the second student remains in critical condition.
According to law enforcement, via an article from The Denver Post, the shooter, Desmond Holly, has expressed white supremacist views online. Prior to the event, Holly posted a photo on X of the exact revolver he fired an hour later. Authorities report Desmond Holly dead, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Holly’s motive and actions remain under investigation. Police have obtained warrants to search his home, phone, car and locker. Along with local police, Denver’s division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have also responded to the shooting.
Desmond Holly fired his gun an hour after political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Utah Valley University’s campus. Kirk’s assassination sparked an uproar on social media and President Trump also expressed his thoughts on X.
Both events at Evergreen High School and Utah Valley University are extremely tragic and devastating and have intensified public debate over the use of firearms and safety.
“What is it going to take for us to come to the agreement that not every person should be able to buy a gun?” asked Brittany Pettersen, a Democratic Representative in a CPR article.
Los Alamitos High School senior, Duy Dang, has expressed surprise at seeing the media being pressured to pick between the two equally horrific events. Dang urges the public to focus on the larger implications of these tragedies.
The shooting at Evergreen High School was the 47th school shooting in the U.S. in 2025. This has totaled up to 19 deaths and about 80 other injured victims. Only nine months into the year, U.S. citizens express visceral fear for the safety of children in schools as a result of gun violence.
Tracy Dorland, the Superintendent of Jefferson County School District, released a public message directed to the students, family and faculty of the September 10th attack.
While the Jeffco School District remains closed, a resource and information center has been opened. Inviting the entire community, the center offers mental health resources and representatives for victim compensation, striving to be a place of solace amidst the recent chaos.
Still, the future remains uncertain. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee the Evergreen High School shooting will be the last. Youth like Dang, administrators like Dorland and politicians like Pettersen all agree the nation needs to move. The question is, to what?
