Colorado police look for links in church killings

Reuters ^ | 12/10/2007 | Keith Coffman

[jan in Colorado]

Just heard on Fox News...the two victims from the second shooting were two teenage girls. They both have the same last name.

[NorCoGOP]

any name release yet?

Per Denver radio, no - Arvada Police still have the investigation "active", so neither they nor the CSPD will release the name yet.

When they do, I hope the transmission gets garbled.

[devolve]

UNIBOMBER / DC SNIPERS method
first notes:


two incidents? or more?
connected?

skullcap? ethnicity? description? age? residence?

helmet? ethnicity? description? age? residence?

[Colofornian]

Per AP:

Latest Victims Id'd:

Stephanie Works and Rachel Works, both 18, were killed, police said Monday. David Works, 51, was in fair condition with gunshot wounds to the abdomen and groin area. Police did not describe how the three were related.

Also injured were Judy Purcell, 40, who suffered a gunshot wound to her right shoulder, and Larry Bourbannais, 59, who had a gunshot wound in his left forearm, police said. Both were treated and released.

[jan in Colorado]

The more I hear about this story, the more it becomes obvious that if that ARMED security guard hadn’t been there and acted when she did, there would be many more dead this morning.

[jan in Colorado]

Thanks for the information. My heart goes out to the family!

[reagan_fanatic]

A security guard shot and killed the gunman

That guard is a hero in my book.

[MtnClimber]

Seems this shooter tried to pick gun-free zones like the other recent shootings. The shooter made his fatal error picking a place that was not gun-free.

[jan in Colorado]

Thanks for "pinging" this article Dave! I thought this aspect was very important since it was a "volunteer" member of the church, who is licensed to carry a gun, that prevented many more innocent people from being killed.

We know that whenever there is a shooting like this, the "gun" is always blamed. It is important that the public is made aware that an armed citizen, prevented a terrible situation from becoming any worse.

I doubt the ENEMEDIA will report it in a positive way.

By the way, the hero, the armed citizen that killed the shooter, is a female!

[Titan Magroyne]

I’m not familiar with the concept of a church needing security guards(!) but weren’t they on alert due to loose affiliation with the Youth With a Mission involved in the earlier shooting?

At any rate, I hope the guard who fired the fatal shot is doing well, not second guessing herself. Without her jumping into action, more innocent lives would have been lost where the shooter must have expected zero resistance. Must have been surreal to experience & react to such violence in a place of peace.

[Rick.Donaldson]

I’m in disagreement with the folks that don’t want the guy’s name released. While I don’t think he should get “national attention”, I DO think we need to know who he was and his motivation for this.

I do believe at this point this was the same shooter. The Colorado SPrings PD, with the help of Arvada PD served warrants on a home in the Denver area this morning. The home is “occupied” by a physician and his wife, and two sons “both in their 20s”.

Personally, I want to know who did this rather than leave him as some “nameless criminal”. There is more to this than is being released, and if they don’t let you know who it was, then the WHY of it can’t be ascertained. If you can’t do that, then if there are other, underlying reasons (anti-religion? Muslim-conversion? etc?) won’t be known. *I* for one want to know.

I think the names of the slain need to be made MORE public though.

[Rick.Donaldson]

The security guard is said to have been an off-duty CSP officer, female, and she charged to the gun shots and stopped him before he got “50 feet inside the building”. She saved a lot of lives.

According to the Pastor, she was in “plainclothes, armed with her own weapon and had a concealed carry permit to have the weapon” he also stated “we follow the laws properly here”... (when some newsie was questioning him on the reasons the woman was armed. He slammed the newsie pretty good, I thought.

[Rick.Donaldson]

After checking our laws a couple of days back (in regards to some arguments on another thread)... there are NO GUN FREE ZONES in Colorado, except Schools. That’s Federally mandated according to the three organizations I checked with.

[frossca]

Have to give this a half-ping, anyway. I don’t usually include security guards in the armed citizen list, but this is an exception. This was a private individual, even though acting in the course of his job. He put a timely end to what could otherwise have been a far worse story. And in all the radio broadcasts I’ve heard about this, no one has mentioned the security guard aspect.

her job

[tioga]

-isn’t the “armed citizen” actually an off duty cop in addition to what you stated?

[Rick.Donaldson]

Have to give this a half-ping, anyway. I don’t usually include security guards in the armed citizen list, but this is an exception. This was a private individual, even though acting in the course of his job. He put a timely end to what could otherwise have been a far worse story. And in all the radio broadcasts I’ve heard about this, no one has mentioned the security guard aspect.

Sorry to correct you, but this should read "in the course of HER job."

Rumor has it she was either an off duty CSP officer, OR former CSPD officer. Either way, the Pastor verified her credentials a bit ago, saying she was a "plain clothes" security guard with a concealed weapon, and permit for it. (Cops normally don't have to HAVE a permit here). Also, she may have been hired to do the job, but that would be like them hiring me to do "security" (which I've done once or twice for various events, because I have the training... etc). But, I'm still a private citizen (so, for that matter are cops and security guards, I might add).

[From One - Many]

It is about time the media had to tell the truth....but the media hardly ever do. Being Prepared, and having an armed female officer in the building, saved lives, but the media....they are miles away from the truth normally.

Prayers for the families and the victims.

[Just A Nobody]

if that ARMED security guard hadn’t been there and acted when she did, there would be many more dead this morning.

Agree! Sad commentary for our country that we need, MUST have armed citizens at our schools and churches...and malls...and...