Woman Critical After Being Shot In LoDo Office Building, Suspect Dead
DENVER (CBS4) - Shots were fired in the area of 15th and Wynkoop streets Tuesday afternoon and a female victim was rushed to the hospital with several gunshot wounds.
Officers rushed to 1536 Wynkoop on reports of a man with a gun at 2:42 p.m. Tuesday.
"Officers quickly entered the building and found the suspect was down from a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound and he was pronounced deceased," said Denver Police spokesman Doug Schepman.
Schepman said based on their preliminary investigation, it was not a random shooting. Detectives are working to determine the connection between the victim and the suspect.
Denver police tweeted out an update on the incident at the Alliance Center shortly after officers arrived.
BREAKING: Shots fired at 15th & Wynkoop. Victims being transported to area hospital. PIO en route.
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 28, 2016
Police said they were prepared for multiple victims but according to Schepman the shooting involved one man and one woman. She was taken into emergency surgery after she arrived at Denver Health Medical Center with gunshout wounds to her arm, chest and back. Her identity has not been released.
Officers rushed to the 1500 block of Wynkoop on reports of a male with a gun about 2:42 p.m.
ALERT: #DPD in the 1500 block of Wynkoop on report of male with a gun. Heavy police presence. Streets closed, please avoid the area. #Denver
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 28, 2016
Several streets in the area were closed during the investigation.
One witness posted video on YouTube that showed people evacuating a building. People could be seen running out of the building with their hands in the air.
Police tweeted out an update at 3:20 p.m. that the building at 1536 Wynkoop has been cleared.
BREAKING UPDATE: #DPD currently clearing building at 1536 Wynkoop. Remains active investigation, roads in area closed. #Denver
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 28, 2016
Police tweeted out an update that the scene was secure at 3:30 p.m.
BREAKING UPDATE: Scene in the 1500 block of Wynkoop is secure. We will be LIVE briefing on the investigation in 10 Minutes! #Denver
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 28, 2016
All shuttles and bus service, including the Mall Shuttle along the 16th Street Mall were suspended in the area.
The Alliance Center is home to offices for a lot of nonprofit groups. Nicole Arnone, who works in the building, described her reaction after learning there was a man with a gun in her building.
"We were trying decide whether to stay and hide in the office or to run, and I said, 'I think we should probably run.' So we went down the stairwell and there were bullet casings all over the stairwell," Arnone said.
Arnone said she was listening to headphones and wouldn't have known about the situation unless her coworkers alerted her.
"It's one of those things we all see on the news all the time and you never think that it's going to be your office -- and today it was my office … I ran out of the building thinking, 'What was the last thing I said to my parents? What was the last thing I said to my family? No one should have to go through that," Arnone said.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock posted several tweets about the incident. They are as follows:
Today, our people experienced a terrifying incident. I thank our emergency responders who arrived on scene to aid and protect our residents
— Michael B. Hancock (@MayorHancock) June 28, 2016
We send our prayers to the victim of today's shooting as well as her family & friends.
— Michael B. Hancock (@MayorHancock) June 28, 2016
If you were in the building where the shooting took place & need support, contact @RMCrisisPartner 844-493-TALK or https://t.co/nzAbZf8CX9.
— Michael B. Hancock (@MayorHancock) June 28, 2016
Denver firefighters were wearing protective vests when they arrived on the scene of the shooting. Firefighters are often some of the first people to arrive at active crime scenes and in some cases across the country they've been shot at. Now many fire departments are outfitting crews with protective vests to keep them safe.