Desmond Holly opened fire at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, on September 10, 2025, critically injuring two students before turning the gun on himself. The 16-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Following the horrific school shooting, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jacki Kelley said Holly had been “radicalized by some extremist network.” An investigation by the Anti-Defamation League uncovered a disturbing past.
Per the league, Holly’s obsession with neo-Nazi views and accumulating tactical gear began months before the shooting. He reportedly spent a tremendous amount of time online in places filled with information about extremist ideologies and “violent content.”
Holly had an account on WatchPeopleDie where he allegedly commented on threads about shootings at Parkland High School in 2018 and the 2022 mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that killed 10 Black victims.
“We’re talking about thousands of people who are on these spaces. There’s no friction to access, anybody can do it,” league Senior Vice President of Counter-Extremism and Intelligence, Oren Segal, told CBS News.
Sadly, these forums seem to encourage horrific behavior.
“Many of these online spaces are glorifying these young, violent shooter types, where they’re even referencing one another,” Segal added.
Thankfully, on the day of the Evergreen High School shooting, students and staff reacted appropriately, which likely saved many lives.
“The students and the staff at the school were amazing. They did their job,” Kelley said, per Denver 7. “They did it well. And lives were saved yesterday because of the actions they took during their lockdown drill… I do know that he tried to gain access to areas that were locked down, and those teachers and those students did their job and took into account what they learned, and it kept them safe.”
According to the school website, it will not hold classes on September 15. The district will have support services available for students.
“While we will not hold classes on Monday, mental health support and other resources will continue to be available for students and families. Please check your email for additional information,” a post on the website reads. “We are grateful for your strength, compassion and patience as we navigate these days together.”
The motive for the shooting remains under investigation. According to Kelley, Holly’s parents are cooperating fully with the investigation.
