Colorado prosecutors said they will not file gun-related charges against the parents of 16-year-old Desmond Holly after the Sept. 10 shooting at Evergreen High School, citing insufficient evidence. Two students suffered life-threatening injuries; Holly later died of a self-inflicted wound. Investigators found the revolver in a locked safe, DNA did not link the parents to the weapon, and they determined the attack was random. An ADL review noted Holly's online fixation on past school shooters but found no confirmed extremist affiliation.
Colorado Won't File Gun Charges Against Parents Of Evergreen High Shooter After Probe Finds No Evidence
Colorado authorities decline gun charges against parents of Evergreen High School shooter
Colorado prosecutors announced Wednesday that they will not pursue gun-related charges against the parents of 16-year-old Desmond Holly, who wounded two students during a Sept. 10 shooting at Evergreen High School before fatally shooting himself. Authorities cited insufficient evidence tying the parents to the firearm used in the attack.
Flowers are left in remembrance of those wounded in a shooting at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, Sept. 11, 2025.(AP Newsroom)
Investigation Findings
Weapon and storage: Investigators identified the firearm as a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver that had been kept in a locked gun safe and described it as a family heirloom. Authorities said Holly did not have routine access to the safe.
Students reunite with loved ones and classmates outside Bergen Meadow Elementary School after a shooting at Evergreen High School on Sept. 10, 2025.
Forensic results: DNA testing did not link either parent to the revolver, and investigators found no evidence to support charges related to firearm access or improper storage.
The suspected shooter who fired a revolver at a high school in the Denver suburbs and injured two students has been identified as a 16-year-old boy who had been radicalized by an "extremist network," law enforcement officials said.
Parental cooperation: The sheriff's office said both parents spoke with law enforcement immediately after the shooting and later provided written responses through counsel.
Motivation And Online Activity
Officials reported the attack appeared to be random and did not target specific individuals. Early in the probe, investigators examined whether Holly had connections to an extremist network but ultimately concluded he had no confirmed affiliation with any particular ideology. The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism reviewed Holly’s online activity and found he engaged with violent content and had an apparent fixation on past school shootings, including references to the 1999 Columbine attack; Evergreen High School is in the same county as Columbine.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said investigators found no legal basis to charge the parents. Fox News Digital reached out to the family’s attorney for comment.
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