An unnamed man was arrested after he broke into the Colorado Supreme Court building and fired gunshots early Tuesday morning, according to a statement from state police.
There is “significant and extensive damage” to the building, police said, but there were no injuries to the suspect, building occupants, or responders. Authorities believe the 2 January break-in “is not associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court Justices.”
Last month, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that former President Donald Trump would be ineligible to appear on the 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment. Within hours of that announcement, Trump supporters began making threats against justices — which both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Denver Police Department are investigating.
Tuesday’s incident began around 1.15am, when the suspect was involved in a car crash and pointed a handgun at the other person involved, police said. The suspect then made his way to the Colorado Supreme Court, where he held a security guard at gunpoint and demanded entry.
He took the guard’s keys and accessed “accessed an unknown number of floors,” authorities said.
Around 3am local time, the suspect called 911 and surrendered himself to police. Authorities transferred the suspect to a local hospital “to be cleared by medical personnel,” according to the statement.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
