It is September 10, 2025. It is an ordinary day in the United States of America. Unfortunately, as with far too many other “ordinary days”, another life has been claimed in a tragic act of gun violence.
Evergreen, Colorado and the surrounding communities mourn the death of one and the injury of two additional Evergreen High School students. The confirmed death has been identified as the student suspected of having initiated the attack at the school on Wednesday afternoon. Jacki Kelley, a public information officer with Jefferson County’s Sheriff’s Office, shared a chilling remark highlighting the devastating reality of youth perpetrating these violent crimes – “Honestly, I don’t know if our suspect is old enough to drive” (May et al., 2025).
The Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection website, reports on verified statistics of injuries and deaths resulting from gun violence. As of the writing of this article, over 18,950 gun violence injuries have been confirmed in the United States. Over 2,000 of those injured were children aged 12 to 17 and, in over one-third (~700) of those incidents, the injured child was killed (Gun Violence Archive, 2025).
These tragedies leave no one unscathed. From the victims, to the victim’s families, to the nationwide retraumatization experienced far too frequently – if you are struggling to cope, you are not alone.
Arapahoe Community College (ACC) offers free in-person mental health counseling for students and staff. ACC also partners with BetterMynd to offer free virtual counseling resources to ACC students. Please refer to the resources below to help you navigate accessing mental health support.
Mental Health Resources for ACC Students
On-Campus Counseling
For appointments, contact the Dean of Students Office in M2720 at the Littleton Campus or call 303.797.5730.
Virtual Counseling (BetterMynd)
To request session credits on BetterMynd, please contact the Dean of Students Office at 303.797.5730 or [email protected]. If students have any questions about these services, you can also email BetterMynd at [email protected].
For Urgent Mental Health Crises
If you or someone you know is in immediate crisis or needs to talk to a mental health therapist urgently, please contact one of the following entities:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 (call or text)
Colorado Crisis Services Hotline: 1.844.493.8255
All Health Network (for Arapahoe and Douglas Counties): 303.730.8858
Jefferson Center (for Jefferson County): 303.425.0300
References
Gun violence archive. (n.d.). Gun Violence Archive. https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
May, H., Robles, Y., & Galva, A. A. A. (2025). Shooting at Evergreen High School leaves three students critically injured, including the suspected shooter. Colorado Public Radio. https://www.cpr.org/2025/09/10/evergreen-high-school-shooting/
