Colorado Teen Shooter Showed Obsession with Columbine and Other Massacres, ADL Report Reveals
Evergreen, Colo., September 16, 2025 — The image of a revolver and a box of ammunition, reposted just two hours before gunfire erupted at Evergreen High School, was the final chilling hint from 16-year-old Desmond Holly. In a tragedy that left two classmates critically injured and Holly dead by his own hand, a new report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) uncovers a disturbing digital trail: months of online fixation on past school massacres, neo-Nazi symbols, and violent extremism that experts say followed a blueprint for radicalization among troubled youth.
The shooting on September 10 at the Jefferson County school—eerily near the site of the 1999 Columbine massacre—has reignited national grief over school violence. But the ADL’s deep dive into Holly’s social media paints a portrait of a teen immersed in a toxic online echo chamber, where admiration for killers like the Columbine perpetrators and recent shooters morphed into emulation.
A Digital Descent: From Gore Sites to Tactical Gear
Holly’s online footprint, pieced together by the ADL’s Center on Extremism, reveals a boy who joined the notorious gore forum WatchPeopleDie in December 2024, right between deadly school attacks in Madison, Wisconsin, and Nashville, Tennessee. The site, known for graphic violence and white supremacist content, had already drawn users like the shooters in those incidents, according to ADL analyst Oren Segal. Holly liked and commented on posts about mass shootings in Parkland, Florida, and Buffalo, New York, immersing himself in a space that glorifies “young, violent shooter types,” Segal told CBS News.
On TikTok, Holly’s accounts brimmed with white supremacist symbols, including a username referencing a neo-Nazi slogan and a profile photo of Elliot Rodger, the 2014 Isla Vista killer. He posted videos of his growing collection of tactical gear—a skull mask, ballistic vest, gas mask, and knife etched with a Nordic rune—often set to music from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter’s livestream. One video showed him modeling a helmet, mimicking poses from past attackers.
Days before the shooting, Holly shared a TikTok emulating the Madison shooter’s stance, wearing a homemade “WRATH” T-shirt he’d crafted to match one from Columbine. He even replied to a comment urging him to “make a move” on a post referencing the Christchurch attack. “Holly joins a long list of mass attackers who have engaged with [True Crime Community] content online,” the ADL noted, linking him to the Antioch and Abundant Life shooters.
Extremism’s Grip: A Pattern in School Shootings
This isn’t isolated—it’s a script. The ADL identified similar patterns in four school shootings over the past year, where teens radicalized via online “extremist networks” that blend gore fascination with white supremacy. Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader called it “radicalization by an extremist network,” echoing concerns from law enforcement.
Experts like Segal warn that these spaces exploit vulnerable kids, turning idle curiosity into action. “When people are radicalized to violence, it’s much harder to intervene at those stages than earlier,” said Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), whose district includes Evergreen. Holly’s path—starting with True Crime Community posts on TikTok, escalating to gore sites and gear hoarding—mirrors a “cultural script” for attacks, per University of Maryland extremism researcher J.M. Berger.
The FBI had a close call: In July, the agency probed a tip from ADL about anonymous accounts plotting a nonspecific mass shooting but couldn’t ID Holly, closing the case without action. “We need better tools to connect the dots,” Segal said, highlighting gaps in monitoring anonymous platforms.
Community in Mourning: Calls for Action Amid Grief
Evergreen High, home to about 1,000 students, remains a ghost of itself, with classes canceled through Friday. One victim clings to life at Children’s Hospital Colorado; the other is stable at St. Anthony Hospital. Investigators still puzzle over victim selection, but locals grapple with the “why” in a town scarred by Columbine’s shadow.
Parents and officials demand change. “This is a wake-up call for safer online spaces,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr. Colorado’s gun storage laws—a misdemeanor for unsafe keeping—are under scrutiny, though Holly’s weapon source remains unclear.
As vigils light up Evergreen, Holly’s story forces a hard look at the invisible pipelines funneling hate to our kids. In an era where a like can lead to a livestreamed nightmare, can we unplug the radicalization machine before the next post goes viral? The answer starts with vigilance—online and off.