Many Colorado neighbors near Evergreen High School helped out students who fled from Wednesday’s school shooting
By Spencer Wilson
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colorado (KCNC) — Many residents who live near Evergreen High School helped out students on Wednesday after dozens of them fled following a school shooting there. The shooter wound up dead from self-inflicted injuries and two students remained in critical condition on Thursday.
After shots were fired, some teenagers ran away from the school and through the woods to nearby homes in attempts to find safe places. One video from a doorbell camera showed students running by and some desperately hammering on the door.
Janet Nelson and Sue Kochta were among those who sheltered students inside their homes until it was determined there was no longer any danger.
The two people said on Thursday that at first they didn’t know what had happened. When they saw a big group of kids outside, they asked what was going on.
“She said ‘Do you want to come in the house?’ They said ‘Yes!’ And a whole bunch of them ran to the front door. So we let them in and they were pretty frantic. And, emotional, which made us pretty emotional,” said one of the women.
Some of the students had heard the shots, and some couldn’t find their friends.
“The one girl that stood out to me was this girl said her friend has a broken foot and she can’t run. And I thought how do you deal with that?” one of the women said.
“And she couldn’t get get a hold of her, either,” the other woman said.
The adults were pondering what they could do for the kids, who they didn’t know.
“(I) just gave her a hug. I didn’t know what else to do. You can’t say it’s going to be okay. You just don’t know.”
Several other Evergreen residents have stories like Nelson’s and Kochta’s, and it’s a reminder that in emergencies situations, there are plenty of Coloradans who are ready and willing to help instead of hurt.
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