A tragic shooting unfolded Wednesday at Evergreen High School near Denver, where a student opened fire on two classmates before turning the gun on himself. The suspected shooter later died, authorities confirmed.
The shooting occurred around 12:30 p.m. at the school located in Evergreen, Colorado, approximately 30 miles west of Denver in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, gunshots were fired both inside and outside the school building.
Law enforcement arrived within five minutes of the first emergency call and found the suspect. No officers discharged their weapons during the incident, said sheriff’s spokesperson Jacki Kelley.
More than 100 police officers from surrounding areas responded. The event evoked painful memories in Jefferson County, which was the site of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting — one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
Victims Hospitalized, One Stable
The two victims were initially listed in critical condition, according to Kevin Cullinan, CEO of St. Anthony Hospital. By evening, one teen was reported to be in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, said Dr. Brian Blackwood, the hospital’s trauma director. The students’ names and ages have not been released.
Community in Shock
The school, which serves more than 900 students, is surrounded by forest and sits about a mile from central Evergreen — a community of approximately 9,300 residents.
Following the shooting, anxious parents gathered at a nearby elementary school to reunite with their children. Wendy Nueman, whose 15-year-old daughter attends Evergreen High, described the fear of not being able to reach her child. When her daughter finally called from a borrowed phone, she was visibly shaken.
“She couldn’t hardly speak,” Nueman said, holding back tears. “It’s super scary… We feel like we live in a little bubble here. Obviously, no one is immune.”
Local Residents Offer Shelter
Don Cygan, a retired educator who lives nearby, said 18 students sought refuge at his home after fleeing the school. One of them reported hearing gunfire while in the cafeteria.
Cygan and his wife — a retired nurse — helped calm the shaken teens and treated some for shock. He made a list of the students’ names and kept track of the parents who arrived to collect them.
“I hope they feel like they ran to the right house,” Cygan said.