NEWTOWN, Conn. – Earlier today, two shootings occurred on two separate school grounds, one in Colorado and the other in Utah. The school shooting at Evergreen High School outside of Denver, Colorado left three students in critical condition, one of whom is believed to be the shooter. Just hours before at an event hosted by Utah Valley University, prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed.
Details about the attackers involved are still unfolding.
Across the nation, there have been at least eight other school shootings in 2025 that have resulted in injuries or deaths, according to Education Week’s analysis. The K-12 School Shooting Database, which tracks all incidents of shootings on school grounds, reports a total of 158 incidents thus far in 2025.
The country has also seen a disturbing rise in politically-motivated violence in the past year, including the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, the deadly attack that killed Minnesota lawmaker Rep. Hortman and her husband, and another attack against Minnesota state Senator John Hoffman which left him and his wife seriously injured.
In response to today’s attacks, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in 2012, issued the following statement:
“The deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, followed shortly after by a high school shooting in Colorado that left three people critically injured, is a reminder that gun violence impacts all – regardless of age, race or political beliefs. No one should have to live in fear of being shot. Gun violence has no place on our campuses, in our communities, or in our politics. We must come together to protect everyone’s right to safety.
“Tragedies like these leave deep and lasting wounds. The sense of safety for these communities has been upended, and many will bear lasting trauma from these senseless incidents. We stand with the victims, the survivors, and their loved ones as we condemn these terrible acts. At Sandy Hook Promise we will continue to advocate for and advance programs and bipartisan policies that are proven to prevent violence in our schools, homes, and communities.
“While details are still emerging, it is vital that law enforcement investigates any warning signs leading up to today and how the weapons were accessed. Warning signs are almost always a factor leading up to an act of violence. The ability to recognize these signs and seek help when needed is how school shootings and other harmful acts are prevented. Violence is preventable when you know the signs, and we must continue to come together to teach everyone how to recognize them and save lives.”
For more information about proven programs that prevent violence, as well as resources for communities, and information about ways to support life-saving, bipartisan firearm access policies, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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