By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Investigators in Jefferson County, Colorado, determined the parents of a teen who shot classmates with a revolver won’t face criminal charges related to the weapon’s storage.
• The 16-year-old shooter wounded two students at Evergreen High School in September 2025 and later died by suicide.
• Authorities examined whether the Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver was stored safely in the family’s locked gun safe.
• Investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish probable cause to charge the parents.
DENVER, CO — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that the parents of a 16-year-old who wounded two students with a family heirloom revolver at Evergreen High School in September 2025 will not be criminally charged in connection with the shooting.
The investigation examined whether the parents could face charges for improperly storing the Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver, which authorities said was kept in a locked safe in the family home.
Sheriff’s officials said they found insufficient evidence to establish probable cause to present charges to the district attorney’s office, noting that the parents’ DNA was not detected on the firearm and that the teen’s access to the safe appeared limited.
The 16-year-old shooter fired at students inside the school on Sept. 10, 2025, before fatally shooting himself. Two students were seriously injured but survived, according to law enforcement.
Authorities said the investigation also looked at the circumstances of the teen’s access to the weapon but did not result in charges against the parents. The sheriff’s office completed its review and closed the matter absent new evidence.