Boy Killed, His Mom and Brother in Critical Condition in Denver Shooting

One boy died and his brother and mother were in critical condition following a shooting in a [...]

By Libby Birk

One boy died and his brother and mother were in critical condition following a shooting in a suburban Denver parking lot Thursday afternoon, police said.

Westminster police released a statement saying a man unrelated to the other three victims was also shot, but expected to survive. The victims' identities were not immediately released.

The suspected shooter in the attack is in custody, department spokeswoman Cheri Spoke said in the statement, adding that a motive was not immediately clear. The suspect's identity was also not immediately released.

Police said investigators were interviewing the driver of a car that was seen leaving the business complex parking lot; the car was located about three hours after the shooting.

A Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer reportedly spotted the car driving south on Interstate 25 at 5:33 p.m., about an hour after police released the description for the black, four-door Toyota Corolla.

"We believe we have the person responsible for this incident in custody and there is not a danger to the public," the press release stated. "Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation and the need to complete photo lines ups with several witnesses, we are not releasing the identity of the adult male at this time. We will release his information as soon as we complete the initial part of this investigation. We anticipate being able to release the identity of the suspect sometime [Friday]."

Responding officers said they found four people with gunshot wounds when they arrived on the scene.

"When officers arrived on scene, they found two adults and two children suffering from gunshot wounds," police said in a statement. "All four victims were shot in the parking lot of the business complex. There were no additional victims in any of the businesses."

Investigators were also interviewing people who were inside or near the business complex at the time of the shooting.

"A lot of witnesses to talk to and get information," Spottke said in the press release. "Obviously, they're upset."

The business complex which holds several dental officers, was blocked off with yellow police tape; police also used evidence markers on the scene. A road next to the complex was temporarily closed, as were several lanes of another major road nearby.

All roads reopened by Thursday night.

9News reports that the owner of a car shop near the business complex heard seven or eight "deliberate" gunshots and watched as a man ran down a sidewalk.

"Like somebody was taking their time aiming at whatever they were shooting at," witness Shaun Lucius said. "It wasn't like they were out there just shooting at targets."

Westminster is a suburban city about 14 miles northwest of Denver.

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