DENVER (AP) — A 16-year-old, named Desmond Holly, is under investigation for a shooting incident at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County, which left two students critically injured. Reports suggest he was intrigued by past mass shootings, particularly Columbine, and had reportedly shared neo-Nazi sentiments online.
Holly had been active in an online community since December, frequented by those who engage with disturbing content, including videos of violence and themes of white supremacy. Following the shooting on Wednesday, he reportedly shot himself and succumbed to his injuries. The circumstances surrounding his choice of targets remain unclear, and it’s worth noting that this area has a tragic history, previously being the site of the Columbine High School shooting that resulted in 14 deaths.
His TikTok account allegedly bore symbols associated with white supremacist groups, and moderators noted his profile included references to common extremist slogans. However, this account was inaccessible on Friday, with TikTok confirming that accounts linked to Holly are banned.
The family of Holly was not reachable for comments, and attempts to connect with them through a designated phone number went unanswered. A spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office refrained from discussing specific details about the investigation or the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) inquiry into the case. It has been previously stated that Holly was influenced by a particular “extremist network,” although specifics were not disclosed.
The ADL pointed out that two other recent shooters also participated in the same online “Gore Forum.” Notably, Holly seemed to have created his account during the intervals between other shootings in Madison, Wisconsin, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Just days before the Evergreen incident, Holly shared a TikTok video reminiscent of how the Wisconsin shooter posed before his attack, even incorporating a photo of that shooter in his post. He wore a shirt emblazoned with the word “anger” during that video.
Holly’s online activity extended into TikTok’s “True Crime Community,” where users often express fascination with serial killers and mass murderers. He also previously shared content depicting how to create shirts similar to those worn during the Columbine shooting, according to the ADL.
“There’s a connection between these attacks,” remarked Oren Segal, a senior vice president at the ADL. “They reference one another, creating this recurring theme.”
Attempts to solicit comment from the specific forums he accessed received no immediate responses.
One TikTok post brought to light by the ADL showed a user encouraging Holly to aspire to become a “hero,” a term used by white supremacists to refer to attackers driven by ideological motives. The same individual suggested Holly acquire a patch that features a symbol associated with a man responsible for the 2019 Christchurch mosque attack, as well as another worn by a perpetrator of the 2022 Buffalo supermarket shooting.
Holly did share a photo of two patches in his possession but mentioned that the velcro backing had fallen off. “I’m planning to use strong adhesive to fix it,” he noted.
