Front Range
Lakewood police agent killed, three wounded in bus shooting
Police said a man opened fire as agents approached him at West Colfax Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard on Thursday evening. The man was shot by police and died at the scene, and a civilian was also injured.
LAKEWOOD
Officers went to the intersection at about 6:30 p.m. on a report of a suspicious person, police spokesperson John Romero told reporters at a news conference on Thursday night. The man was trying to get onto a bus when agents approached him, and police said he may have been involved in a hit and run crash earlier in the day.
Within seconds of the approach, the man opened fire and struck four agents, Romero said. Officers returned fire and struck the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. One of the four agents was pronounced dead of their injuries, and the other three were taken to area hospitals for care.
A civilian was also wounded and taken to a hospital, according to a statement from Gov. Jared Polis. Polis said the three wounded agents were still receiving care at area hospitals on Thursday night, and he said the Colorado State Patrol was assisting at the scene and took part in a procession from a hospital in honor of the agent who died.
The Regional Transportation District said the shooting happened aboard a bus its contractor operates on Route 76 in Lakewood. Romero said the shooting happened in the area of the bus, and that he could not confirm on Thursday night whether it took place aboard the bus. RTD said its personnel responded right away, that the agency is cooperating fully with the Lakewood Police Department investigation, and that there were no impacts to RTD service.
RTD chief executive Debra Johnson said the agency's thoughts were with the victims and with everyone affected by the shooting, including fellow customers, the bus operator and RTD response staff. She said events in the communities RTD serves can extend onto the transit system, and that the agency's commitment to a welcoming customer experience is unchanged.
The Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team is leading the investigation into the officer involved shooting, with support from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Lakewood police asked the public to avoid the area while the investigation continued, and the department said additional details would be released as they become available.
Police had not released the names of the agent who died, the three wounded agents, the man who was shot or the civilian who was injured as of Thursday night. In an update on Friday, police said the three surviving agents were in stable condition at area hospitals.
