Two Students In Critical Condition After High School Shooting In Colorado
What started as a regular day at Evergreen High School in Colorado ended in horror when a student opened fire on campus, critically injuring two classmates before shooting himself.
The terrifying incident unfolded in the school’s third week of classes, with over 100 officers swarming the building within minutes of the first 911 call. Police say they were in contact with the shooter, a male student armed with a handgun, just five minutes after the first report of gunfire.
More than 900 students were locked down as officers went room to room, later moving them to a nearby reunification centre to be picked up by their families.
Two students in hospital
Officials confirmed that one student is in critical condition at St. Anthony’s Hospital, while the other is now stable. No other injuries have been reported.
The suspected shooter was also taken to hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died, authorities said.
The FBI and ATF are now helping local police process multiple crime scenes inside and outside the school, while investigators seek a warrant to search the suspect’s home.
“This is the scariest thing you could ever think that could happen and these parents were really frightened and so were the kids,” said Jacki Kelley from the sheriff’s department. “And I know we always say not again, and here we are.”
Colorado’s tragic history
This was the 47th school shooting in the US so far this year, 23 of them on K-12 campuses. Colorado itself has a devastating history with gun violence, from the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 to Aurora’s 2012 cinema attack, and more recently, the 2021 King Soopers supermarket shooting in Boulder.
Governor Jared Polis condemned the violence, saying: “This kind of violence has absolutely no place in Colorado or anywhere, especially our schools, where kids should feel safe to learn and grow. No family should ever fear for their child’s life as they send them to school.”
Senator Michael Bennet added: “I will continue to monitor the situation closely and think of Evergreen’s teachers and students in the wake of this senseless violence.”
The tragedy in Colorado unfolded less than an hour after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event in Utah Valley University, making it one of two high-profile shootings to rock the United States almost simultaneously.
As Evergreen begins the painful process of healing, questions around school safety and America’s gun violence epidemic grow louder. For parents, students, and teachers, the words of one shaken grandfather ring true: “None of us should have to go through this.”
Photo credits to CNN
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