‘Radicalized’ shooter dead, two injured in wake of school shooting

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Authorities identified 16-year-old Desmond Holly as the shooter who injured two at Evergreen High School, which is nestled in the foothills about 30 miles west of Denver.

Holly died of self-inflected wounds on Wednesday afternoon, the same day as the shooting. Authorities said on Thursday he was “radicalized by some extremist network.”

Both of the injured students remain in critical condition in the hospital, according to Jacki Kelley, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office public information officer.

Kelley spoke at a press conference on Thursday.

She said more information will be coming regarding Holly’s radicalization as law enforcement continues its investigation. That investigation includes warrants for Holly’s phone and home.

Kelley applauded teachers, coaches, staff and students at the school.

“The most important thing I can tell you today is that the students and the staff at the school were amazing,” Kelley said. “They did their job. They did it well, and lives were saved yesterday because of the actions they took during their lockdown.”

She added the situation could have been much worse had school authorities not acted as quickly as they did.

“We know that the suspect had a handgun. He had to keep reloading. He would fire and reload fire and reload,” Kelley said. “The suspect brought quite a bit of ammunition with him, and he continued to reload … We are very, very grateful that there were not more injuries, but saddened that there were any.”

One of the victims’ families released a statement on Thursday identifying the victim as 18-year-old Matthew Silverstone.

“The family appreciates the community’s concern and support, but as we remain focused on our loved one’s recovery, we respectfully request privacy as we continue to heal and navigate the road ahead,” the statement said.

The other student’s family chose not to release a statement or the victim’s information.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation. They are working in conjunction with FBI Denver and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Denver (ATF Denver), which both had personnel respond to the scene.

“We have a great deal of support from so many jurisdictions, but the FBI’s role here has been tremendous,” Kelley said.

Contrary to previous reports, authorities said the crime scene did not stay on school property, instead spilling onto a nearby street.

Kelley also addressed reports that a student had been released from the hospital, which she said was not true as of Thursday.

The first call regarding Wednesday’s shooting was received at 12:24 p.m. Hundreds of local law enforcement immediately responded to the school.

In 2024, Evergreen High School had about 900 students grades 9-12 enrolled in it.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office stated Friday morning that there will be no more press conferences regarding the shooting.