It did not hit me until I headed up I-70 on Thursday that I was driving toward the site of another school shooting. It should have been front of mind since the shooting happened just over a week before and I wrote a column highlighting the tragedy last Sunday. Yet it did not occur to me until I headed up the hill.
Like many Coloradans, though, I can nearly drive to Evergreen on autopilot. Alderfer/Three Sisters Park is among my favorite day hike locations; my family lived along the half-mile between the park entrance and the high school when I was born. I made my first Colorado Supreme Court argument with 600 Evergreen students at my back, part of the court’s annual tour to local schools.The lake, the shops, the restaurants and the vistas have drawn people from Denver to the close-in mountain community for decades.
Months ago I committed to volunteer for a charity golf tournament at the Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. Run by the First Judicial Bar Association, it benefited our local CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program for children. I am a board member for the 1st J.D., have volunteered for CASA in the past, and months ago thought it would be a great way to spend a mid-September day.
The day turned out far more somber than I anticipated.
In particular, I thought a lot about Matthew Silverstone. An Evergreen student who turned 18 the day before the shooting, he warned other students and ended up fighting with the shooter outside before being shot. Silverstone remains in critical condition at St. Anthony Hospital, two miles from where I live now.
I wonder if during those selfless, heroic moments Silverstone acted out of instinct or because he knew about the heroic acts of others. He must have heard about Kendrick Castillo, another 18-year-old Colorado high school student, who lost his life at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in 2019. Castillo lunged at that shooter, saving the lives of students and teachers.
I wonder if Silverstone had watched viral videos of 10-year-old Weston Halsne, a survivor of the Annunciation Church and School shooting last month, telling reporters, “My friend Victor, like, saved me, though. Because he laid on top of me. But he got hit.” Like several other older children, Victor Gunter took it upon himself to stand between younger kids and lethal danger; Gunter and his fellow heroes consequently bore the brunt of the attack. Thankfully, he survived and has been discharged from the hospital.
I wonder if Silverstone is just a good, selfless human being who instinctually wanted to protect others. Adopted out of foster care at a very young age, he must understand better than most the important role of caring for others. His mother’s loving example must have given him a foundation to be brave even in the face of horror.
Likely, it is a combination of all these factors.
What is certain is that Silverstone is a hero. Whatever drove his actions last week, it seems he did not hesitate to put others before himself. When given the opportunity to protect himself or help other teens, he did not waste a moment. He took life-saving action.
That should not be read to undermine the students and teachers who hid in classrooms. That is exactly what they have been told to do, what they do drills to practice. Personally, I felt a catch in my throat as I read the Colorado Sun’s account detailing how the shooting unfolded and came to the part about a teacher who jumped up from her desk, ran to the door, and locked it as she turned off the lights and directed her students to safety. She then sat closest to the door and danger.
That scene played out across the high school. And every one of those teachers and students is a hero in their own right. I have spoken to JeffCo officials with knowledge of the situation and when the shooter could not get into those locked rooms, he left to look for others. He did not find a single room of targets open to him. That saved many, many lives.
The response from law enforcement should not be overlooked. They arrived within two and a half minutes of being called. Anyone who has ever driven by Evergreen High School knows that the road is winding and steep — to be on scene and rushing in 150 seconds after being called is nearly miraculous.
Yet, I keep returning to Silverstone. He did not have training or instruction for what he did. He did not have any time to prepare or weigh the risks. He simply acted in the best way he knew how. He did what he thought would help the most people.
While Americans continue to hold vigils for another victim of gun violence killed in a neighboring state at nearly the same moment, comparatively little attention has been paid to this extraordinary young man. That says a lot about our country today.
Silverstone will spend what should have been his senior year recovering from his injuries. Recent reports indicate he will need life-long care. If history is prologue, he may have a path similar to Anne Marie Hochhalter, the Columbine survivor who died this past February. Paralyzed and suffering life-long pain due to her injuries, she nonetheless found the strength to be an advocate and inspiration.
I am sure that if Silverstone recovers sufficiently, something we all hope and pray for, he will have plenty more to contribute in the future. As I await those contributions, I have contributed to the GoFundMe account created to help his family pay for his care. I hope that everyone reading this will consider doing the same.
In the worst moments of his life, Matthew Silverstone proved he was an unhesitant hero. For that, Colorado, Evergreen and all of us can be thankful.
Mario Nicolais is an attorney and columnist who writes on law enforcement, the legal system, health care and public policy. Follow him on BlueSky: @MarioNicolais.bsky.social.
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