EVERGREEN, Colo. — The gunman in the Thursday afternoon shooting at the CommonSpirit Primary Care Office in Evergreen has been identified as 62-year-old Lance Black, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) announced Friday.
According to the release, Black had been a patient at the facility in the past, but his motive is still under investigation. Karlyn Tilley, a spokesperson for the JCSO, said 2016 was the most recent time deputies had previously made contact with Black, an Evergreen resident, for a mental health-related incident.
"Because the shooter himself is deceased, we may never get the answers that we're hoping to get," she said.
Law enforcement arrived at the scene around 4:28 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple reports of gunshots at the primary care office, which is located at 32214 Ellingwood Trail.
"We were on scene in less than five minutes... When we arrived, there was no active shooting that we could hear," Tilley said. "When we approached the building, we did hear one more shot, and that's when we entered the building, immediately. And because of that shot, we were able to locate that suspect rather quickly."
Black was found armed with a shotgun when they entered the facility, according to the release. Deputies "attempted to de-escalate the situation" but Black ultimately used the gun to take his own life, the release said.
Black fired an estimated 19 shots into "various pieces of equipment, computers, doors, and walls," but no one else was injured, and the only other business damaged was a vacant office, the release said.
"The people who were inside did the right thing," Tilley said in a Friday interview with Denver7. "They did exactly what we tell school students to do, to shelter and to lock a door and turn off the lights and try to get into a safe spot and stay very quiet. And that's exactly what they did."
Tilley said at a Thursday evening press conference that people started calling 911 just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday. JCSO posted online that they were responding to an "active shooter incident."
"We are confident he acted alone and there is no ongoing threat to the public," the release stated.
The shooting comes as the Evergreen community is still reeling from a shooting at Evergreen High School that left two students injured in September 2025.
"This is really the last thing this community needs," Tilley said at the Thursday evening press conference. "And even though at this moment we don't have any victims, it is still very, very rattling, I think, to this community, to law enforcement. It's just not anything anyone wants to hear about."
"This is just a really painful reminder of how vulnerable we all are," she said in the Friday interview.
Watch the full press conference from Thursday evening below.
Tammy Drozda, whose family owns the nearby Tuscany Tavern, echoed that sentiment in a Thursday evening interview with Denver7.
"Evergreen — we're going to get through it. We're strong, but it shakes you up a little bit," she said. "I just hope that we all continue to stand together and stand close and support each other and ourselves and our community."
The Friday release said that those impacted by the incident could contact victim advocates at victimservices@jeffco.us or by calling Jeffcom at 303-980-7300 and asking to speak to a victim advocate.
The Evergreen Resiliency Center, 5120 CO Road 73, will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the release said. ERC can also be reached by phone at 720-362-2925 or email at admin.erc@victimoutreach.org.
"All are welcome to come in and connect with advocates and mental health professionals who will provide emotional support and access to services," the release said.
Denver7's Colette Bordelon contributed to this report.
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