Thread: Four people killed during hostage standoff with police in Colorado

Four people killed during hostage standoff with police in Colorado

As many as 40 officers, including SWAT teams and hostage negotiators, were on scene at the home in Aurora, Colo.

By Victoria Cavaliere / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Saturday, January 5, 2013, 9:02 AM
Updated: Saturday, January 5, 2013, 11:55 AM

9News Denver

A hostage situation in Aurora, Colo. has resulted four people dead, including perhaps the gunman.

Four people are dead Saturday after a gunman took several hostages inside a suburban Denver house, police said.

It was unclear how the victims died, but the gunman appears to be among the dead.

Officers were called to the townhome in Aurora, Colo. around 3 a.m. after reports of shots fired, Sgt. Cassidee Carlson told the Daily News. An “armed and dangerous” man was inside the home and has refused to surrender to police, she said.

Roads leading to the home were closed off as police tried to seal the scene.

Neighbors told local media that they smelled tear gas later Saturday morning.

As many as 40 officers, including SWAT teams and hostage negotiators, were on scene for more than six hours after the standoff began.

Police spoke briefly on the phone with the suspect and tried to negotiate an end to the standoff, Carlson said. The other adults trapped in the house were not able to "come out of their own free will,” she said.

“We are just trying to do things as safely as possible at this point,” she said.

The identity of the victims and what prompted the incident is still unclear.
vcavaliere@nydailynews.com

Four people killed during hostage standoff with police in Colorado - NY Daily News

SONNY ARCHULETA NAMED AS AURORA SHOOTING SUSPECT — FAMILY HAS HISTORY OF GUN VIOLENCE

January 5, 2013 at 4:31 pm in

Sonny Archuleta MySpace photo.

By RYOT Staff, RYOT News

Another tragic shooting has rocked the town of Aurora, Colorado, where 12 people were killed in a movie theater last year. Today news emerged of a gunman barricaded inside a townhouse who fired shots at police from a second-story window before he was killed when SWAT officers stormed the home Saturday. Once inside, they found the bodies of three other adults, authorities said.

A neighbor has named the suspected gunman as 33-year-old Sonny Archuleta. Police officers also used this name while negotiating with the suspect via bullhorn, according to the Asscoiated Press. As this story develops, RYOT has discovered new details about the suspected shooter.

A devout Christian, Archuleta regularly attended a local church and posted frequently about his faith on twitter. There are no clues that point to him being disturbed. His last tweet, just two days ago, talks about some music he downloaded.

It is reported that his wife managed to escape from the home as he opened fire on other relatives. According to one police source he was characterized to police at the scene as being mentally ill. Police are also investigating the possibility that Archuleta was using methamphetamines and he is said to have stayed up “four days straight” before the incident.

According to Colorado state records, Archuleta had three previous weapons charges, including a prohibited use of a weapon in 2004 and carrying a concealed weapon in Denver in June.

One clue might be connected to this latest tragedy. On September 5th of last year, Archuleta tweeted about the murder of his brother, Pat, who was shot and killed at a local restaurant in Denver on September 3, 2012. It seems that gun violence affected Archuleta’s life last year and could be related to a downward spiral leading up to today’s tragedy.

http://www.ryot.org/sonny-archuleta-neighbor-names-aurora-shooting-suspect-as-sonny-archuleta-family-has-history-of-gun-violence/46394

why is the identity of this suspect blurred out? What is up with that?

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

why is the identity of this suspect blurred out? What is up with that?

W

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