UPDATED 12/28, 2:50 p.m. ET: According to the Denver Post, one of the victims has been identified as 44-year-old Alicia Cardenas, the owner of Sol Tribe Custom Tattoo and Body Piercing in Denver. Additional information regarding other victims has not been released.
In a statement shared with USA Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis said his administration was now working with multiple agencies as part of an ongoing investigation.
“Tragedies like this, especially in the midst of the holidays, are deeply unsettling,” Polis said. “My administration is working with local law enforcement to understand what happened last evening and provide the needed support throughout the investigation.”
See original story below.
Several people were killed or injured following a shooting spree that occurred in several locations throughout Denver and Lakewood, Colorado on Monday, the Denver Postreports.
At least 5 people reportedly died, including the suspect, and 3 others were injured. A Lakewood Police officer was among the injured.
Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen called the shootings a “killing spree.”
According to officials, the shooting started at around 5 p.m. in Denver when the suspect injured a man and fatally shot two women near East First Avenue and Broadway. The suspect is said to have then killed a man near East 12th Avenue and Williams Street. The suspect then allegedly fired shots at West Sixth Avenue and Cherokee Street. No one was injured.
The fourth incident in which the suspect fired shots at occurred at West Sixth Avenue and Cherokee Street when police attempted to stop the suspect. Police were unsuccessful and gunfire was exchanged. A police car was “disabled” in the process, according to KKTV 11.
Authorities think the suspect then headed to Lakewood, where a person was found fatally shot on the 1500 block of Kipling Street.
Lakewood Police Department spokesman John Romero said that police eventually spotted the suspect’s vehicle and shots were exchanged. Following the shootout, the suspect fled on foot, entered a Hyatt hotel, and shot a clerk. The clerk’s condition is currently unknown.
The suspect then shot a Lakewood officer who is said to have been transported to a hospital to undergo surgery. After more shots were fired, the suspect was killed. It’s unclear if the suspect was killed by police.
“Still unsure exactly if it was by Lakewood police or not but he was then pronounced dead at the scene,” Romero said. “At this point, we do not believe there is any additional safety concern to the community.”
