Colorado suffered a massive loss following the shooting that occurred at Evergreen High School on Sept. 10. Two students were left hospitalized and the shooter was found dead. According to CNN, as of Sept. 10, there have been 47 school shootings in the U.S. in 2025.
Amid these tragedies, ELPS administration, security, and mental health staff continue to work diligently to raise awareness of these incidents. The greatest challenge facing school safety teams everywhere, according to ELPS’ director of safety and security, Don Hull, is the misconception that school shootings are easily preventable and predictable.
“Could we make the schools a lot safer? Sure. We could run them like a prison, you know. We could lock down the building for the entire day where nobody goes outside, movement is controlled, and have armed security- but that’s not high school. I would never want to envision that. That’s not something I would like to ever see,” Mr. Hull said.
Although it is sometimes a challenge for staff, it is necessary to balance safety and freedom at ELHS. If schools excessively conduct drills or lessons for students regarding gun violence, that’s likely to induce anxiety surrounding the issue. Additionally, it would be unsafe to overshare detailed plans and tactics with the general public.
Behind the scenes, emergency services such as EMS, police, and fire use ELPS’ buildings as resources to conduct tactical training and mock drills to help prepare staff for various emergency scenarios. This helps ensure that in the case of an emergency, security is well prepared. Regular lockdowns are also conducted for students to ease any anxiety regarding expectations during a possible emergency.
“I think that all the staff here do a really good job of making me feel safe and secure whenever I’m at school. The drills are super helpful and definitely help me feel prepared,” junior Gwyneth Minogue said.
Ultimately, the most relevant factor when looking at preventing school shootings is mental health. According to the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, 70 percent of mass shooters have a history of mental health issues.
“There tends to be a trend in some of the people that commit these crimes, and there’s usually a pretty drastic shift in
behavior. Are they socially withdrawn? Are they preoccupied with weapons, war, or violence?” ELHS social worker Emily Hancock said.
Students play a vital role in recognizing these behaviors, as they are typically more exposed to students than adults.
Security and mental health staff stress the importance of trust between students and staff. If someone sees a shift in behavior in a student, they should feel comfortable confiding in different safety resources. All conversations are kept confidential, if students are not comfortable having an in-person conversation, there is an anonymous tip line on the ELPS website.
Mental health staff play an extremely relevant role in these situations.
“I think our role here, all of us have a duty to pay attention to things that are not very outward, and to be a support for all kids, so that they all feel like they belong somewhere,” Ms. Hancock said.
Staff are constantly making strides to ensure ELPS is a safe place that students look forward to coming to.
“High school should be fun. It was some of the most fascinating, fun, exciting times I had. I have no negative memories, it was just a great time with my friends, and that’s what it should be,” Mr. Hull said.
