A student suspected of shooting two other students at Evergreen High School died of self-inflicted injuries Wednesday, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.

Palpable feelings of anxiety and concern hung in the air, as parents and family members gathered to pick up their high school students from the reunification point at Bergen Meadow Elementary School.

Around 12:30 p.m., at least three students were critically injured and taken to the hospital after a shooting on high school property, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

One of the three taken to the hospital was the gunman, said sheriff’s office spokesperson Jacki Kelley at a media briefing around 3 p.m..

Authorities confirmed on Wednesday night that one person had died: “The male suspect responsible for the shootings at Evergreen High School today has died from his self-inflicted injuries.”

St. Anthony’s Hospital confirmed it received three patients from the shooting, all of whom are minors. They are in critical condition, according to CEO Kevin Cullinan.

Kelley could not confirm other details, including the gender of the shooter or a motive. She confirmed that the weapon was a handgun, but could not say further about the make or model.

“This is the scariest thing that could happen. We always say, ‘Not again.’ But here we are,” Kelley said. “These parents are really frightened, so are the kids.”

That sentiment was echoed as families reunited with their children at the elementary school later in the afternoon. As they walked to their cars — many of which were parked on the side of the road, a practice that disrupted the flow of traffic in the area — students could be overheard recounting their harrowing experience from just a few hours prior.

Many parents and family members, who were waiting to pick up their children and standing in line on the right side of the elementary school’s driveway, embraced one another. Some wiped tears away. Others huddled together, sharing information about the shooting.

More than 100 officers from multiple jurisdictions responded, Kelley said, adding that authorities had evacuated everyone and cleared the school within an hour-and-a-half of the first call. Kash Patel, director of the FBI, said on social media that agents were on the scene and “supporting local authorities.”

Kelley added that there was one more person who sustained minor injuries in the incident but did not give more details about their condition.

“I am closely monitoring the situation at Evergreen High School and am getting live updates,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a news release. “State Troopers are supporting local law enforcement in responding to this situation. Students should be able to attend school safely and without fear across our state and nation. We are all praying for the victims and the entire community.”

Jefferson County communications first reported the shooting just before 1 p.m. on social media, saying there were reports of an active shooter in the area of the school.

Jeffco Public Schools officials later confirmed the shooting happened outside the school and the building in an email to parents.

After initially listing the reunification point as Wilmot Elementary School, the account later changed it to Bergen Meadow Elementary School, located at 1928 Hiwan Dr.

Hundreds of parents began lining up at Bergen to pick up their students soon after.

Located on Buffalo Park Road southwest of the city, Evergreen High School opened in 1944. The school had 931 students in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

There have been five school shootings in Colorado since Columbine High School in 1999.

There was a hostage situation and shooting at Platte Canyon High School in 2006, when Duane Roger Morrison shot and killed Emily Keyes.

In 2010, Bruco Eastwood shot and injured two students at Deer Creek Middle School.

An 18-year-old student, Karl Pierson, entered Arapahoe High School in 2012 with Molotov cocktails and a shotgun. He shot one student before killing himself.

The most recent shooting was the 2019 STEM School shooting in Highlands Ranch, where nine students were shot and one was killed by Devon Erickson, a student who was later convicted on 46 counts, including first-degree murder.

Denver Gazette reporter Sage Kelley contributed to this report.