UPDATED 5/11, 5:52 p.m. ET: Colorado Springs police Lt. Joe Frabelle identified the gunman who killed six people and himself at a birthday party as 28-year-old Teodoro Macias.
Macias, officials say, opened fire at the party held by his girlfriend’s family because he was not invited. Officials claim he had a history of controlling and jealous behavior and was in a relationship with one of the victims for a year. He did not have a criminal history.
Macias’ Smith & Wesson handgun was originally purchased by someone else at a local gun shop in 2014, according to the Associated Press, and police recovered 17 spent shells at the scene of the shooting.
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A Colorado man opened fire early Sunday morning at a birthday party, killing six adults before taking his own life, the Associated Press reports.
Authorities said the incident occurred shortly after midnight when the unidentified gunman, who is believed to be the boyfriend of a female victim, walked into a party attended by family, friends, and children in a mobile home park in Colorado Springs and started firing at guests. Six dead bodies were found when police arrived, as well as a man with serious injuries. That individual was later pronounced dead at the hospital. No children were injured.
A nearby resident told the Colorado Springs Gazette that she was awoken by the sound of gunshots and people crying. She said she also saw two kids in the back of a patrol car.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers called the shooting a “senseless act of violence,” and said an investigation is ongoing. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ statement centered around the fact that this happened on Mother’s Day, saying, “Many of us are spending the day celebrating the women in our lives who have made us the people we are today.”
Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski said the officers and investigators who responded to the shooting were “left incredibly shaken.” Niski promised that the department will do everything it can to provide those who lost a loved one with answers in due time. The names of the victims and the shooter are being withheld until they have been identified by the coroner.
