Aurora Shooting: Gunman in Aurora, Colorado Mass Shooting May Have Been Meth User (LIVE Updates)

Impact

Four people were killed during a shooting at an Aurora, Colorado townhome, including a gunman who held police off for several hours, according to the Denver Post.

The shooter, likely a member of the household, entered the home and killed three residents, said police. A fourth resident was able to escape the house around 3 AM and notify authorities of the crisis. Police evacuated a three-block radius surrounding the home and attempted to coax the shooter out.

“Sonny, come down stairs. Sonny, we have your wife. Sonny, come out and we’ll get you the help you need,” said the police negotiator, according to neighbor Shaunna Bustios.

“We know you’ve been up for four days. What’s done is done. Come out and we’ll get you some help,” another neighbor, Jennifer Williams, overheard.

After the failure of negotiations, police shot tear gas into the first floor of the residence at 8:20 AM. About 9 AM, the suspect began shooting at police from the second floor of the house. A SWAT team returned fire, at which point the suspect dropped out of sight. Police have currently not confirmed whether the suspect was terminated by the authorities or committed suicide. After the shooting ceased, police entered the home and found the three adult victims on the first floor.

Unconfirmed statements indicate the shooter may have been a methamphetamine user. “There was all kinds of commotion at that house,” Williams said. Other statements by witnesses, including his apparent lack of sleep, may indicate that the shooting was drug-related.