Colorado Authorities Identify 16-Year-Old Desmond Holly as School Shooter
Authorities in Colorado have identified the student behind Wednesday’s shooting at Evergreen High School as 16-year-old Desmond Holly.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Holly opened fire on the school grounds on September 10, injuring two students before dying later that night from self-inflicted wounds.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley told reporters on Thursday, September 11, that the teenager had been “radicalized by some extremist network.” She declined to provide further details, adding only that the disclosure was meant to shed light on his possible state of mind.
He rode the bus to the school Wednesday morning, according to authorities.
According to the authorities, Desmond Holly opened fire around 12:30 p.m. local time, using a revolver handgun and firing repeatedly.
Mr. Holly “brought quite a bit of ammunition with him and he continued to reload,” Ms. Kelley said.
Holly di£d later that night at the hospital of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities still don’t know how Holly obtained the gun, but say his family is cooperating with the investigation.
As of Thursday morning, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office received a warrant for Holly’s phone, locker, and his family’s home.
While it is still unclear whether the victims were targeted, Kelley told reporters Thursday morning that Holly’s attack appears to be both “random and targeted,” based on the number of rounds he fired.
Two of the victims were sent to St. Anthony Hospital; one is in critical condition. None of the victims have been released from the hospital, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
“I can’t praise the staff and students enough for doing what they learned,” Kelley said. We’ve had our fair share of school shootings in JeffCo… They locked down and we know that it saved lives.”
