Classes are canceled this week at Evergreen High School after a student shot two of his schoolmates before turning the gun on himself last Wednesday.
Jefferson County officials have not yet confirmed when the high school will reopen, but said several security measures will be implemented before it does, according to a letter sent Sunday to Evergreen students, staff and families.
“Over the past several days, our Evergreen community has shown incredible strength and care for one another,” principal Skyler Artes and superintendent Tracy Dorland wrote in the joint letter. “As we look ahead, we know that what matters most right now is creating a clear and thoughtful path forward for our students, staff and families, while prioritizing your mental health and wellbeing.”
Artes said she will release the plan for students to return to school by Sunday.
According to the letter, the school district has committed to putting the following in place before students return:
- A full-time school resource officer provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office,
- A full-time, armed officer,
- Dedicated JeffCo safety and security patrols in the Evergreen area,
- Additional support for the Evergreen High School administrative team,
- Dedicated and floating substitute teachers for staff,
- Additional office staff and dedicated, on-site communications support for timely responses,
- And additional mental health support for students and staff.
Evergreen High School parent groups raised concerns about the school’s lack of a resource officer during a Parent Teacher Student Association meeting the night before the shooting. The previous full-time officer had been on medical leave for nearly a year, and multiple part-time officers were filling the gap.
The school resource officer working at the Evergreen on the day of the shooting had left roughly an hour and a half before the attack began, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said.
The officer was dispatched to a nearby accident between 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, a routine event that doesn’t violate department policy, Kelley said. The first shots were fired at 12:24 p.m.
Parents of Evergreen Middle School students also raised concerns about SRO staffing on Wednesday morning, shortly before the shooting began, said Sarah Aller, the head of that school’s PTA.
Parent groups raised concerns about resource officers before Evergreen High School shooting
As of Monday morning, one student shot by 16-year-old Desmond Holly remained in serious condition at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, hospital spokesperson Rachael Fowler said. "Serious" is a step above "critical" on .
No update was available Monday on the second victim, who on Friday was in critical but stable condition at CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood.
Desmond, armed with a revolver, shot his schoolmates -- including 18-year-old Matthew Silverstone -- at in the foothills west of Denver and then himself. He died from his injuries at the hospital.
The second student shot has not been publicly identified.
Authorities said the high school needed "cosmetic" repairs before it's able to reopen, including replacing broken windows, fixing damaged lockers and cleaning up "fluids."
Students enrolled in the will still have class, but can expect a light catch-up week, according to the school district. Optional athletic practices will resume off-site Monday afternoon, mostly as a way for teams to connect.
Social media accounts that appeared to belong to Desmond, the 16-year-old shooter, embraced white supremacist views and were littered with references to mass shootings and Holocaust denial, The Denver Post found. Desmond also showed an interest in mass shooters in the days before the attack.
The teenager was “radicalized through an extremist network,” Kelley said. She was unable to release additional details, including a potential motive.
Experts said Desmond's online footprint reflects a new wave of nihilistic violent extremism that calls for violence as a way to destroy society.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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