You don't usually hear from me on a Thursday. I'm sending this now because the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office released 664 pages of investigative records today from the Evergreen High School shooting, and the contents are significant enough that I didn't want to wait until morning.

Your regular Class Notes is still coming tomorrow with the full week's reporting.

At lunchtime on Sept. 10, 2025, Desmond Holly sat in the G hallway at Evergreen High School with his backpack, waiting. Nearby, in a classroom down the hall, the school's Gay Straight Alliance was meeting. Witnesses told investigators Desmond had been walking past the open classroom door, looking in but not going inside.

Minutes later, he opened fire.

Desmond, 16, shot two students before dying by suicide. Matthew Silverstone, a senior at Evergreen High School, was one of them. Both victims suffered critical injuries.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office released a 664-page investigative report April 23 in response to public records requests from multiple media organizations. It contains witness accounts, device evidence and physical items from Desmond's room that investigators gathered in the days after the shooting. None of it reached the public until now.

JCSO said it will not participate in interviews about the report at this time. It said it will begin reviewing written questions the week of April 27.

What witnesses told investigators

Multiple witnesses told investigators Desmond made statements during the shooting that referenced the Gay Straight Alliance. One account documented by investigators states that after shooting a student, Desmond said, "Get down you [slur]. Where's the G200's? Where's the GSA?" A separate account describes him telling students, "get out of here you [slur]" before opening fire in the G hallway.

A third witness told investigators Desmond had been watching a student connected to the GSA, asking about that student through mutual contacts and walking past the GSA classroom repeatedly in the period before the shooting.

Investigators documented these accounts but left them out of the Feb. 4 press release announcing the close of the investigation. That release made no mention of a possible motive.

What was in his room

When investigators searched Desmond's bedroom the night of the shooting, they found items that had not previously been reported publicly.

They documented tactical gear including rifle magazine pouches, a ballistic plate carrier and a tactical helmet, along with gas masks, camouflage clothing and a handmade cardboard weapon.

On his devices, a friend told investigators Desmond had edited videos of past school shootings set to music. The same friend described material investigators characterized as "neo-Nazi," including a spinning swastika symbol.

What those around him saw

Catalina Holly, Desmond's older sister, spoke to investigators on Sept. 11, one day after the shooting. A friend also spoke to investigators separately.

Together, their accounts describe a young man who had grown more withdrawn in high school and who used language associated with misogynistic online communities.

Catalina told investigators that around the start of high school, Desmond stopped talking about his friends and spent more time in his room. She had encouraged him to address his mental health concerns, but he did not feel he needed it.

She told investigators Desmond had used the word "femoid," a term she linked to incel culture online. She said she looked it up and found it was a dehumanizing term for women, and that Desmond did not seem to think it was serious or hurtful.

Catalina also told investigators Desmond had expressed anti-Jewish sentiment at some point, though every conversation she had with him about the Holocaust had suggested he understood the gravity of what happened. The sentiment, she said, shocked her.

She said she knew Desmond was gay or bisexual and that he was private about it. She said her parents would have been fine with whoever he dated, but she did not know if he would have been bullied for dating a boy.

She told investigators she had heard Evergreen was "not the most accepting community" and that she had friends there who were not comfortable. She also said the school's Gay Straight Alliance had "fell apart." A friend interviewed by investigators told them they did not think Desmond was sexually attracted to men, and described a nickname some people called him as a joke.

Between the lines: The investigative report does not include a conclusion about motive. Investigators documented the witness accounts, the items found in Desmond's room and his online activity, but drew no public connection between those findings and the shooting. None of it was part of what JCSO told the public when the investigation closed Feb. 4.

Why it matters: The Evergreen community has asked since September why Desmond Holly opened fire in the hallway outside the school's Gay Straight Alliance meeting. The records released today are the first public documentation that investigators gathered evidence directly relevant to that question. Those records do not answer it.

What's next: JCSO said it will begin reviewing written questions about the report the week of April 27. I'll keep reporting on what the records show and what the public hasn't been told. The regular Class Notes arrives Friday morning with more.

If this reporting is difficult for you or someone you know, you can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

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