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Five people were killed, and three others were injured when a suspect went on a "shooting spree" throughout Denver, Colorado, on Monday (December 27). Authorities received the first report of shots fired around 5 p.m. in downtown Denver and found two women had been killed and a man was wounded. A few minutes later, officers received another report of a shooting nearby that left one man dead.
After officers learned of another shooting, they located the suspect's vehicle and chased him through a residential neighborhood. The shooter managed to disable a police vehicle and escape into the neighboring town of Lakewood.
Around 6 p.m., officers received reports of a fourth shooting in which one person was killed. Officers located the suspect's car in a nearby shopping center and tried to take him into custody.
The suspect fled on foot into a hotel and shot the clerk who was working the front desk. He then engaged in a firefight with the responding officers, wounding one of them before he was fatally shot.
"We believe that this individual was responsible for this very violent series of events that took place in the Denver metro area," Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said during a press conference.
Investigators have not released the identity of the suspect and are working to determine a motive for the killing spree.
"This is the holiday season. To have this type of spree take place is not normal for our community," Pazen said. "We cannot lose sight of the victims in this, the people who are still fighting for their lives, including a Lakewood agent."