Department of Justice’s Grant Program Awards Colorado Department Of Public Safety $1.3 Million To Support Victims Of Evergreen High School Shooting

DENVER - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announces that the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs has awarded the Colorado Department of Public Safety $1.3 million to support the victims and community of the 2025 Evergreen High School shooting.

On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, there was a school shooting at Evergreen High School. During the incident, two students were shot and critically injured but survived. A teacher was also injured.

The funds awarded in this grant will be used to support recovery in several ways, including: providing counseling services to the victims of the shooting, including students and staff; creation of the Evergreen Resiliency Center which will help support victims of crime and other trauma; reimburse the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for overtime pay incurred while supporting victims in the immediate aftermath of the shooting; provide a trauma recovery coordinator, an additional counselor at Evergreen High School, and a half-time counselor at Wilmot Elementary where some victims sought shelter during the shooting; and support for the Colorado Department of Public Safety's Office for Victims Programs, which provides ongoing support and victim compensation, of which some 400 claims have been filed to date in relation to this incident.

"My thoughts and prayers remain with the Evergreen High School community and those both injured and affected by this heinous act," said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. "I know nothing can change what happened that day, but I hope the Evergreen Community knows that the Department of Justice stands with them and remains their partner today and in the future."

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is the largest grantmaking component of the Department of Justice and houses the Department's criminal and juvenile justice-related science, statistics, and programmatic agencies. OJP is committed to advancing work that furthers DOJ's mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis.