This article is the first installment of a new series in the Clarion News, covering current events that shape the conversations on our campus. Several synopses of these stories — local, national and international — will be presented in the form of a week in review to inform readers on the most pressing issues that impact our community.
This past week saw major headlines in the U.S. and abroad, as Americans reckoned with two major fatal shootings, Nepal experienced a political revolution in 48 hours and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was convicted for his role in an attempted coup d’état.
Shooting at Evergreen High School leaves two injured, shooter dead
Two students remain hospitalized after a shooting around 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 at Evergreen High School. The suspect, a 16-year-old student at the school, shot two classmates before turning the gun on himself and later died from self-inflicted injuries.
The investigation into the shooter’s motives is ongoing, with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department being assisted by multiple local law enforcement agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Local police responded to initial reports of a shooting at the school within two minutes, and over 100 officers from around the Denver area rushed to the school. Jacki Kelley, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, estimated that officers confronted the shooter within five minutes of the first calls.
Kelley confirmed the existence of security footage documenting the shooter’s movements inside the school, as well as body camera footage when officers encountered the suspect, but neither has been released to the public.
None of the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting fired any shots. The three students injured were taken to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colo. One student is still in critical condition, but the second, in stable condition, was transferred to another hospital later that night.
Only one victim has thus far been publicly identified. In a statement, 18-year-old Matthew Silverstone’s family thanked the community for its support and asked for privacy.
Parents of the over 900 students served by Evergreen High School were told to go to a nearby elementary school to reunite with their children. Classes have been canceled at Evergreen this week while authorities continue to examine several crime scenes in and around the school.
Hundreds of students across Jefferson County held walkouts last Friday to protest gun violence in solidarity with Evergreen High School students.
Charlie Kirk fatally shot at Utah college event
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of right-wing student advocacy organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Sept. 10.
The 31-year-old was a staunch ally of President Trump, having founded TPUSA in 2012 at age 18. The organization now has chapters in more than 850 colleges across the U.S., including the University of Denver.
There was initial confusion over whether police had detained a suspect in the fatal attack, but authorities announced early Friday morning that the suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was in custody.
While there has been widespread speculation over possible motives, prosecutors have not yet officially stated what drove Robinson to commit the crime. Kirk had been speaking at a debate hosted by UVU’s chapter of TPUSA.
Videos quickly began circulating online in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with President Trump confirming Kirk’s death on Truth Social, before TPUSA issued a statement corroborating the report a short time later. They asked that the family’s privacy and dignity be respected.
Inside the movement that brought down Nepal’s government
Weeks of mounting public outrage over government corruption in Nepal led to mass protests beginning last Monday that ended with the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his cabinet ministers.
The violence began Sept. 8, when crowds peacefully protesting a ban on several popular social media platforms, which many Nepali people use to communicate with friends and family members living outside the country, were incited by the killing of a young protester still in his school uniform by the police.
While the government claimed that the banned platforms hadn’t registered in the country as required, many Gen Z demonstrators highlighted how it coincided with the rise of the #Nepobaby trend in Nepal. Young influencers contrasted their experiences with high unemployment and poverty rates with images and videos of the lives of rich politicians and their children.
Thousands flooded the streets as the death toll climbed, burning down government buildings and politicians’ residences. Police allegedly opened fire on protestors, leading to the deaths of at least 72 people, according to the nation’s Health Ministry. Over 1,000 were injured in confrontations with authorities or burned in the fires.
The new interim prime minister is the former chief justice, Sushila Karki, and the first woman to lead Nepal. She has appointed several cabinet ministers, many of whom have dedicated their careers to fighting corruption, and announced elections will be held on March 5, 2026.
Brazilian Supreme Court convicts former President Bolsonaro in coup plot trial
On Sept. 11, Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, of attempting a coup d’état after he lost the presidential election in January 2023, along with several of his high-profile supporters.
The far-right populist and Trump ally was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison, marking the first time a Brazilian president has been convicted of a coup attempt. President Trump said that he found the verdict “very surprising,” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. would “respond accordingly to this witch hunt.”
In an opinion piece published in the New York Times on Sept. 14, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fired back at President Trump, criticizing his recent decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports as “not only misguided but illogical.” The administration cited unfair trade policies.
Bolsonaro’s trial was the culmination of a two-year investigation by Brazil’s federal police. Bolsonaro was formally charged earlier this year with leading a criminal organization, plotting a coup d’état and violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.
The historic verdict was witnessed by the more than 3,000 Brazilians who registered to attend the trial in the courtroom. Millions of people around the country watched the broadcast, including some who gathered around the Supreme Court building to watch screens displayed outside.
