The suspect involved in the shooting at the Colorado Supreme Court building has been identified as 44-year-old Brandon Olsen. He was arrested after breaking into the building, holding an unarmed security guard at gunpoint, and firing multiple shots inside the facility.
The incident occurred after a two-vehicle crash at 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street in Denver, near the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center.
Olsen allegedly shot through a window to enter the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, which houses the Colorado Supreme Court, early Tuesday morning, The Denver Post reported.
After entering the building, he allegedly held an unarmed security officer at gunpoint and took their keys. While inside the building, the man allegedly shot at police, who did not return fire, the newspaper reported. He also fired additional shots on the seventh floor of the building. Nobody was injured, and the Carr building is set to remain closed throughout Tuesday.
The incident comes just weeks after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump should be removed from the state’s primary ballot over his actions surrounding the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Critics have argued that his actions constituted a violation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which bars elected officials who have engaged in an insurrection from holding political office.
However, Colorado State Patrol does not believe the shooting was “associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court Justices” made following their ruling, The Denver Post said.
What Was The Motive Behind Colorado Supreme Court Shooting?
Police have not released specific information about his motive. The suspect’s motive is still unclear, and authorities believe the incident is not associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court.
The Denver Police Department is leading the investigation. Olsen was allegedly involved in a crash at about 1:15 a.m. local time in the area and allegedly pointed a handgun at another driver, police told The Denver Post. The suspect called 911 at about 3 a.m. and surrendered to police.
The Denver Police Department previously said it was investigating threats “directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices” and would be “providing extra patrols around justice’s residences” following the ruling last month when the court decided 4 to 3 that Trump should not appear on the Republican presidential primary ballot.