Media Contact
Katy Payne she/her
360-764-0201
OLYMPIA—September 10, 2025—Today, when students, families, and educators across the nation are settling into a new school year, a school community in Colorado is facing every parent and educator’s worst nightmare. As of the latest update from local police, at least three students, including the suspected shooter, were injured in a shooting at Evergreen High School.
The next state over, in Utah, a young political activist was killed after being shot during an event at Utah Valley University. Nobody wants this. Every single one of us want our kids to go to school without the fear of gun violence. We want to be able to go to events, and to work, without the fear of gun violence.
My heart is with the individuals, families, and communities that are impacted by today’s violence. It’s with those in Colorado who were injured and are now in critical condition. It’s with the young activist's wife and children who now must navigate their grief. It’s with the high school and college students who witnessed something horrific, and their loved ones who worried about their safety. And my heart is with all of the first responders who step in to provide protection, investigate, unify families, keep the public informed, and ultimately obtain justice.
Since 2020, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., making America an outlier when compared to other similar nations.
Our young people deserve better.