Man allegedly killed his in-laws in Colorado before being shot and killed by police
Two people were found dead inside a home in the Denver metro area early Friday morning. Police believe they were killed by their son-in-law. The deceased, a 79-year-old man and woman, were discovered when Adams County Sheriff's deputies were called to a home for a well-being check.
When deputies arrived at the home located at Lofton Court and Kokai Circle just after 5 a.m., they encountered a male with a knife. Deputies said they used multiple resources in an attempt to disarm the person but were ineffective.
"The deputies gave verbal directives to drop a knife. They gave some space, and they tried to end the situation as safely as possible. They even utilized some resources -- taser deployments and soft pallets to try to end the situation, but unfortunately, those were ineffective," said Adams County Sheriff Sgt. Adam Sherman.
The deputies said they shot the man, later identified as a 51-year-old and son-in-law of those killed. The suspect was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
After the shooting, deputies conducted a "safety sweep" of the home where the initial 911 call originated and found two deceased adult victims inside the home.
Investigators said they believe the suspect killed the couple. The suspect called 911 and allegedly told the dispatcher what happened and also sent messages to the family that were alarming.
A truck had crashed into the garage at the home. It was believed to belong to the suspect. Investigators are trying to determine whether the suspect was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Other weapons were found inside the home, including firearms.
"We do have a scattered crime scene, so there's going to be a lot of evidence to process and to document. The crime scene techs, who will be doing a lot of that throughout the day, plus a large-scale scene inside the home itself, to investigate as a homicide at this point," said Sherman.
Neighbor Charlie LaPatina said he heard the shots that killed the suspect.
"My wife was getting up for work and we heard a scuffle out there -- just a lot of yelling," he said. "I went to my window over here and heard the shots go off."
The suspect will be identified by the Adams/Broomfield County Coroner's Office.
