This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Lawmakers and Evergreen community members stood near Evergreen High School on Monday to unveil legislation to prevent acts of violent extremism by tightening the time social media companies are allowed to respond to warrants from law enforcement.
The push for this legislation comes after a shooting in September, when a 16-year-old student opened fire, injuring two students before killing himself at the school. Community members, lawmakers and law enforcement say the tragedy that occurred was preventable.
In the days that followed the shooting, Jefferson County officials learned that the shooter had posted disturbing and credible warning signs on TikTok months earlier, according to U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen’s office. The posts were reported to federal authorities in July, but social media platforms did not respond to subpoenas early enough to provide enough information about the individual’s identity.
The FBI executed three search warrants, but didn’t receive information on the third one until after the shooting, Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli said.
“In total, this search warrant process took a staggering amount of time, about 75 days, and by the time the information for the Evergreen case was finally complete, the shooting had already happened. The clock ran out because the process was too slow,” state Rep. Tammy Story said.
According to Marinelli, that warrant would have revealed the online user’s email and home address. Had they received that information sooner, she said the shooter could have been stopped.
“What we know from case after case is that digital evidence matters. It helps law enforcement identify threats, find suspects and intervene before violence occurs,” Marinelli said.
'Good step forward'
The proposed federal bill, brought forward by U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen and Story, would require companies to respond to FBI subpoenas and warrants related to credible threats within 72 hours. However, if the file is too large to obtain within that timeframe, they could receive an extension of seven additional days.
Colorado’s version of the bill, backed by Story and state Sen. Lisa Cutter, requires a response to Colorado search warrants within 24 hours for major social media platforms.
Story said that in Colorado, social media companies currently have 35 days to turn around a single search warrant.
“We are choosing to prioritize the safety of our students and teachers over the administrative convenience of billion-dollar corporations. We owe the people of Evergreen nothing less,” Story said.
Pettersen also announced two other federal bills, one which would allow the Department of Justice to supply communities with safe firearm storage boxes and another that would create a grant program to provide technical assistance and training on Extreme Risk Protection Orders for local law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, health care providers, educators and other agencies.
Story said these proposed bills are all needed, and there’s still much more to be done.
“I don't think we're done, but this is a good step forward to help protect lives and save communities from the immense amount of trauma that has been described today,” Story said.
Just days before the shooting, Tyler Guyton, a senior at Evergreen High School, said he was talking with a mentor about his worry of violence in schools.
“Tragically, 48 hours later, we became that community. In the days following the shooting that occurred right behind me on September the 10th, 2025, we were faced with the reality of isolation, grief, and a shattered sense of safety,” he said.
