Seven people are dead in Colorado Springs after a late-night shooting at a mobile home park on Sunday. Colorado Springs police say officers arrived at Canterbury Mobile Home Park just after midnight to discover six dead adults and one injured man, who later died of his injuries.
According to a statement from police, a birthday party was underway at the address near the airport that included friends, family and children. Police said a boyfriend of one of the female victims walked inside the residence and began shooting people before shooting and killing himself. None of the children at the party was injured and authorities said they are now with relatives.
Officials do not yet know the motive of the shooting, which they described as a "horrific act," in a statement. The names of the victims and the suspected shooter have not yet been released, but police said the family members of those who were killed have been notified.
Gov. Jared Polis released a statement about the shooting, saying it's especially devastating on Mother's Day.
“Multiple lives were taken today by this terrible act of violence. Families torn apart, and at a birthday party no less. My deepest condolences and prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone else impacted by this tragedy,” Polis said.
In a statement, Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski said his department will do everything they can to find answers for grieving family members.
"From the officers who responded to the shooting to the investigators still on scene, we are all left incredibly shaken," Niski wrote. "When these types of unspeakable acts happen, there is nothing that can be done to fully rebuild what was lost or replace those who are no longer with us."
The Gazette in Colorado Springs reports it is the deadliest shooting in city history.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers called the violence senseless and said he is keeping first responders in his prayers, as well as those who lost family.
"We ask the public’s patience with the investigation and we seek the sensitivity of our media partners as CSPD completes a thorough investigation,” Suthers said in a statement.
The police department is asking anyone with information about the crime to call them at 719-444-7000.
The mass shooting comes less than two months after a gunman killed 10 people, and attempted to kill almost two dozen others, at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder. Police are still looking for a connection between the suspect and the supermarket, as well as a motive, in that case.
The Colorado Springs incident marks the thirteenth mass killing nationwide in 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass murder as four or more people killed.
