1 injured in Greeley hospital parking lot shooting, suspect found deceased in Northern Colorado

Police in Greeley investigated a shooting in the UCHealth Greeley Hospital parking lot on Thursday morning that left one woman injured. The suspect was found deceased in a nearby Evans after the shooting. 

Greeley police said that officers rushed to the shooting outside the hospital, located at 6767 West 29th Street, just after 8 a.m. When officers arrived they found a 35-year-old female who was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was able to walk into the emergency room from the adjoining parking lot. 

Officers said they were able to quickly identify the 38-year-old male suspect who left the scene before police arrived. The hospital was placed on secure status at that time and officers cordoned off the parking lot surrounding the hospital with crime scene tape. 

The lockdown at UCHealth was later lifted after it was determined there was no active threat at the hospital. 

Investigators learned that the suspect had fled to a residence in the 1900 block of McNitt Street in Evans. Officers from the Evans Police Department and Greeley Police Department responded to that location. 

CBS News Colorado Your Reporter Dillon Thomas said SWAT and police, along with fire crews were outside the home in Evans. Investigators confirmed that K9 officers were on scene and that drones were deployed.

When officers arrived outside the home, they observed a car on fire at the residence. Firefighters were requested to respond. Officers said they briefly made contact with the suspect and confirmed he was alone and had barricaded himself inside the home. 

"There were at least three hoses that I saw and they were squirting high in the air. I didn't know at the time the house was on fire too but it wouldn't surprise me with how big the flames were coming out of that car," said neighbor Tony Diederick.

During attempts to reach the suspect, the vehicle fire spread to the home where the suspect was barricaded, according to police. Firefighters extinguished the fire while SWAT attempted to make contact with the suspect. 

Once SWAT got inside the home, they found the suspect deceased. 

Investigators said the victim and suspect knew each other before the shooting and that it was not a random incident. The suspect's identity and cause of death have not been released. 

According to Greeley police, the home is near both the Chappelow Arts Magnet School, located in the 2000 block of 35th Street, and the Dos Rios Elementary School, located at 2201 34th Street. Both schools were temporarily placed on lockdown status during the police activity and investigation. 

UCHealth released this statement to CBS News Colorado: Earlier this morning, there was situation in the parking lot at UCHealth Greeley Hospital. We are working closely with Greeley Police, who think this may be an isolated case of domestic violence. While we don't believe there is an ongoing threat, we have extra security on campus to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors, staff and providers. Please contact Greeley Police for additional information.

Additional Information from the Greeley Police Department:

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National DV Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or our Victim's Services Unit locally at (970) 350-9605. Additional resources are available on our website: https://greeleypd.com/victim-assistance/.