Authorities in Colorado announced on Wednesday that they will not pursue gun-related charges against the parents of a teenager involved in a high school shooting last fall, which resulted in two students suffering life-threatening injuries. This decision was based on a lack of sufficient evidence.
The investigation focused on the parents of 16-year-old Desmond Holley, who had been examined for potential charges related to firearm access and storage following the shooting at Evergreen High School on September 10. However, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office concluded that there was no valid reason to move forward with charges.
Holley opened fire at his school, located about 30 miles from Denver, before he ultimately shot himself and later succumbed to his injuries.
According to investigators, the firearm used—a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver—was stored in a locked gun safe, and DNA tests failed to establish any connection between the parents and the weapon. The revolver was described as a family heirloom, and it appeared that Holley did not routinely have access to the safe where it was kept.
After the shooting occurred, the parents initially cooperated with authorities before subsequently communicating through their attorneys.
Officials stated that the shooting did not seem targeted at any specific individual, as it appeared to be random.
Earlier in the investigation, there were suggestions that Holley could have been influenced by an unnamed extremist network. However, further inquiries revealed that while he wasn’t associated with any established extremist ideology, he had developed an unhealthy fascination with past school shootings through online content.
The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism looked into Holley’s online behavior and noted that he had engaged with violent material, often referencing historical mass shootings, including the infamous Columbine High School attack—both events occurred in the same county.
As of now, no comments have been made by the family’s attorney.
