A suspect has been arrested in connection with the killings of two people who were shot dead Friday in a dorm on the University of Colorado campus in Colorado Springs.
Nicholas Jordan, 25, of Detroit, Mich., was arrested Monday morning in Colorado Springs and faces two counts of first-degree murder,police announcedon Facebook. Police said they have been looking for Jordan since a warrant for his arrest was signed on Friday.
“Investigative efforts continue to indicate this was an isolated incident between individuals who were known to one another and not a random attack against the school or other students at the university,” police said in a statement.
Officers with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) Police Department were called around 6 a.m. Friday after a report of a shooting at Crestone House, a dormitory located on the campus. Police found a man and woman dead in a room.
The Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Coroner’s Office have identified the victims as Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, of Pueblo, Colo., and Samuel Knopp, 24, of Parker, Colo., according to apress release. Police said Knopp was a registered student at the university, but Montgomery was not.
“While acknowledging the difficulty of the situation and the withholding of information in the initial stages of the investigation, we owe it to the victims and their families to deliver accountability and justice for this horrific act,” police said in the press release.
“The families are asking for privacy at this difficult time so they can mourn the loss of their loved ones, and we ask that you not contact them,” the release states.
According toCBS News,NBC News, andUSA Today, the university was on lockdown as police investigated the scene Friday and ordered everyone on campus to shelter-in-place. The university was reportedly closed over the weekend and classes were canceled Monday to allow students to participate in “a day of healing.”
“I encourage you to set aside time to process the tragic events of this past week, both as an individual and in a group setting,” Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said in astatementshared to the university’s website on Sunday.
“As we mourn the loss of Samuel Knopp and Celie Montgomery, my hope is that we will come together as a community, support one another and share in our grief,” the chancellor said. “Please remember that you are not alone.”
Sobanet said Knopp “was a senior studying music and a beloved member of the Visual and Performing Arts department. He was an accomplished guitar player and an extremely talented musician.”
The deaths also come about a week after Mia Brown, a nursing student at the university, died on campus following a medical emergency, according toThe Scribe, UCCS’s student-run newspaper.
“This has been a difficult week with the loss of Mia Brown, another beloved student, on Monday,” the chancellor added. “I know we are all mourning, so please, remember that you are not alone. The entire Mountain Lion community is here to support you.”
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade shared his condolences and called the deaths of Montgomery and Knopp a tragedy in astatementposted to Facebook on Monday.
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“Friends, I know you are looking for answers. I want answers too,” he continued. “Please know and please have faith that more information will be made available when the time is right, without jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation. I have the utmost confidence in CSPD’s investigation, and I trust that there will be justice and that precautions are in place to safeguard the community. In the meantime, I ask for your patience as our law enforcement professionals continue to investigate.”
Anyone with information or who is a witness to this investigation is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may contact the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
source: people.com
