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09_12_25amheadlines Jack Armstrong
Headlines Tuesday Sept 16, 2025
FBI Investigated Evergreen Shooter
The FBI opened an investigation last July into the social media accounts of the sixteen-year-old who shot and wounded two students at Evergreen High School last week, before fatally shooting himself.
The FBI was tipped off about Desmond Holly by the Anti-Defamation League, which monitors online extremism.
The investigation into Holly’s social media accounts reportedly continued until last week’s shootings. Those accounts indicated Holly was probably involved in online extremism that could lead to violence. They showed elements of white supremacy, anti-semitism, and a fascination with mass shootings, like the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School.
The identity of the account user, however, was apparently not known. The ADL said in a statement that because the account user wasn’t identified, there was no probable cause for arrest, or for additional law enforcement activity.
This is all according to the Denver Post, which in turn cites 9News.
Meanwhile Evergreen High School remains closed this week. Jefferson County school officials say they’re working on a plan to resume classes, but with increased security. KGNU’s Andraa Von has that part of the story.
School administrators said in a statement that “creating a clear and thoughtful path forward … for students, staff and families,” and prioritizing mental health and well being, is what matters most now, according to the Denver Post.
Increased security is also a priority. Once classes resume the school district has committed to having the following safety and mental health resources in place on campus:
- a full-time school resource office from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office,
- A full-time, armed safety and security officer,
- Dedicated safety and security patrols in the Evergreen area,
- Additional mental health support for students and staff
- Dedicated and floating substitute teachers for staff
As of yesterday, one of the victims remains hospitalized in Lakewood in critical but stable condition. The second victim was transferred to Children’s Hospital Colorado and has been upgraded from critical to serious condition.
Both were shot at school last Wednesday, by sixteen-year-old Desmond Holly. Holly then took his own life.
West Nile Surges in Colorado
The number of West Nile virus cases in the United States is higher than usual this year, and the highest rates are in Colorado.
The Centers for Disease Control is reporting that Colorado’s West Nile virus cases are more than double what other states are seeing.
The CDC says Colorado has had 150 West Nile cases this year. State health officials report even more: they say the state has seen 189 cases, with nine of them becoming fatal. Many of the cases have been in northern Colorado, with higher numbers in Boulder, Larimer, and Weld counties.
The reason for the higher rates in Colorado are unclear, but one possibility is that there has been more rain than in years past.
Doctors told 9News that the spread of West Nile virus is preventable. Since it is spread by mosquitoes, they recommend not going outside from sundown to sunup, when mosquitoes are most active. They also say to wear insect repellant, wear long-sleeved clothing, and avoiding areas with standing water.
Pugliese Resigns
House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese is stepping down from her seat as the top republican Colorado House of representatives. According to the Colorado Sun, Pugliese plans to leave the position to spend more time with her kids.
Pugliese is another high-ranking Colorado GOP leader to leave the house. She joins Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen from Monument, and their leaving marks a shift in leadership as the Sun reports that the republican party has been becoming more relevant in the Colorado General Assembly.
Pugliese’s leaving is also marked by a high-profile spat in the legislature during the assembly’s special session last month. State Democrats accused Pugliese of hiding that state republican Ryan Armagost took a picture of Democrat Yara Zokaie, leading to her harassment online.
Pugliese cited the situation, as well as the recent death of far-right podcast host Charlie Kirk, as a reason to reconsider her position and think about her children. House republicans are planning to meet as soon as this week to elect a new leader.
Potential Colorado ICE Sites
City officials in Walsenburg appear optimistic about an immigration detention facility that’s been proposed for their area. But federal Immigration and Customs officials have provided them with few details.
The Huerfano County Correctional Facility in Walsenburg is among several Colorado locations listed as possible new immigrant detention sites, according to documents obtained and made public by the American Civil Liberties Union in July.
It’s a 752-bed facility owned by CoreCivic, a private firm that describes itself as “a diversified, government-solutions company” based in Tennessee.
The Walsenburg facility’s future for immigrant detention depends on whether CoreCivic enters into a contract with ICE, which Walsenburg city officials say is beyond their control.
At the same time, more than a hundred people gathered outside an even larger prison in Weld County Saturday, demonstrating their opposition to using it to jail immigrants. An ACLU speaker said that using that facility, or any other, to detain immigrants, depends on tearing families apart.
There is currently one ICE facility in Colorado, in Aurora.
Walsenburg: READ MORE
Hudson:READ MORE
CoreCivic: READ MORE
Snow On The Way
Fox31 in Denver has predicted Colorado’s snow, saying the front range will see the first measurable amount of snow by October 18. In the past, the front range has seen snow as early as September 8 back in 2020 and as late as November 17 in 2016.
Snow has already graced Colorado mountain peaks visible from Denver and Boulder. Ski resorts like Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, and Breckenridge have also reported their first snowfall of the season.
Mountain towns with lower elevation, like some areas of unincorporated Boulder County may have varying first snowfalls that could come as soon as the next two weeks.
