Two days after two students were shot and critically wounded by a schoolmate at Evergreen High School, authorities called for patience as they try to answer the question parents, teachers and administrators are all asking: Why?
Mark Techmyer, a spokesperson for the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office, said on Friday that the investigation is likely to take weeks.
Officials say that on Wednesday 16-year-old student, Desmond Holly, used a revolver handgun to shoot two fellow students. He walked throughout the school looking for more people to shoot, but he could not get to students behind locked doors and instead shot lockers and windows before turning the gun on himself.
Holly later died from his injuries.
The two students who were shot remain hospitalized. Matthew Silverstone, 18, remains in critical condition at St. Anthony’s in Lakewood. A second student who has not been identified is at Children’s Hospital. Rachael Fowler, a spokesperson for Children’s said Friday that their patient from the shooting is now listed as being in serious condition.
As police searched the shooter’s home, phone, and social media accounts, they said on Thursday they believed that Holly had been radicalized, but have not yet said more about what that means. Police have not yet shared a motive for the shooting.
Social media accounts that appear to belong to Holly show many references to Columbine High School and to Hitler. Those accounts have since been suspended and the sheriff’s office is not confirming anything about those accounts or what they meant when they shared that Holly had been radicalized.
“This investigation's going to go on for weeks,” Techmeyer said. “The radicalization part involves the FBI, so this is going to be very complex. I would not expect any further information about that for some time.”
