No Gun Charges Filed Against Parents of Colorado High School Shooter

Colorado authorities announced Wednesday they will not pursue gun-related charges against the parents of a teenager who wounded two students during a shooting at Evergreen High School last fall, citing a lack of evidence tying the parents to improper firearm access or storage, as reported by Fox News.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said it completed a review into whether the parents of Desmond Holly, 16, could face criminal liability following the Sept. 10 shooting at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, roughly 30 miles west of Denver. Investigators ultimately determined there was no legal basis to file charges.

Holly wounded two students, both of whom sustained life-threatening injuries, before turning the gun on himself inside the school. He later died from his injuries.

BREAKING: Desmond Holly, 16, ID’ed as Evergreen High School shooter in Colorado

Police say Holly shot 2 students before taking his own life Wednesday.

“We’re looking at a motive, we don’t have one yet,” an official said. “He was radicalized by some extremist network, & the… pic.twitter.com/65DEzuZPKp

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According to investigators, the firearm used in the shooting was a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver that had been stored inside a locked gun safe. Authorities said DNA testing failed to link either parent to the weapon, undermining any claim that the parents had improperly provided access.

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Investigators described the revolver as a family heirloom and said Holly did not have regular access to the safe where it was stored.

The sheriff’s office emphasized that evidence gathered during the investigation did not support allegations of negligent storage or unlawful access.

The parents cooperated with authorities in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and later submitted written responses through legal counsel, according to the sheriff’s office.

Desmond Holly, 16, opened fire at Evergreen school, injuring two before suicide; parents not charged due to lack of evidence.

Tragedy emphasizes need for stricter gun safety education and monitoring of teens’ online activities to prevent radicalization. pic.twitter.com/Vz3skYc9KT

— unumihai Media (@unumihaimedia) February 5, 2026

Officials also addressed early speculation surrounding the shooter’s motives. Shortly after the attack, authorities said Holly may have been influenced by an unspecified extremist network. That assessment was later revised.

Investigators concluded Holly was not aligned with any organized extremist ideology. Instead, officials said he had developed an online fixation on prior school shooters and mass casualty attacks.

The Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism reviewed Holly’s online activity and reported that he had consumed violent content and referenced past mass shootings, including the 1999 Columbine High School attack.

Evergreen High School is located in the same county as Columbine, a fact investigators noted while reviewing the case history.

Authorities said the shooting did not appear to target specific individuals and was carried out at random.

The decision not to charge the parents comes amid ongoing national debates over parental responsibility, firearm storage laws, and criminal liability following school shootings.

In this case, investigators said the available evidence did not meet the threshold for prosecution under Colorado law.

The sheriff’s office did not announce any additional charges related to the case and indicated the investigation into the parents’ conduct is now closed.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the family’s attorney for comment.

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