JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — The Jefferson County Sheriff is pushing for change in the wake of the Evergreen High School shooting when it comes to getting information from social media companies.
Sheriff Reggie Marinelli argues that those companies have too long a grace period to give law enforcement critical information about users making online threats.
She said the Federal Bureau of Investigation submitted multiple warrants over the summer for details about an unknown social media user who had been discussing plans for a mass shooting. But she said investigators didn’t get the information needed to identify the suspect before the Evergreen High School shooting.
“The FBI did everything right. They did everything as quickly as possible. The information didn’t come in in time,” Marinelli said.
A report from the Anti-Defamation League revealed the Evergreen shooter had been active on a violent online forum months before he opened fire at Evergreen High School on Sept. 10, injuring two classmates before taking his own life.
Marinelli confirmed the ADL’s report, which showed the gunman had an obsession with previous school shooters. He also posted a TikTok video showing tactical gear and a photo of a revolver on X. At the time, authorities had no idea who he was or where he was located.
“The complaint we had in reference to the shooting at Evergreen came in through New York, so it wasn’t anywhere near Colorado,” Marinelli said.
After an online threat is reported, Marinelli says the process to get a user’s information often starts with a warrant for an IP address. Colorado allows social media companies 35 days to respond to those warrants.
Once that IP address is received, Marinelli says police will then submit a second warrant for more detailed information, triggering another 35-day response window.
Marinelli said the process often takes two or three warrants before authorities can obtain an email address.
“At that point in time, you just hope that email address is connected to a true name and a true address, and it gives you that information,” she said.
Evergreen High School Shooting | Coverage from FOX31
Marinelli is now advocating for both state and federal legislative changes that would require social media companies to respond to warrants within 24 hours when a threat is involved.
“Part of me wonders if we could have saved the shooter on Sept. 10 from himself, but we will never have that opportunity to find out,” she said. “But we can certainly save a lot of lives and a lot of injuries in the future if we were to speed this process up.”
The sheriff said she is working with members of Colorado’s congressional delegation to push for the change and hopes the effort will lead to nationwide reform.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
