A man fatally shot six other people including his girlfriend and then himself at a birthday party in Colorado Springs, Colorado, early on Sunday, sparing the children who were present inside the trailer at a mobile home park, officials said.
“The suspect, a boyfriend of one of the female victims, drove to the residence, walked inside and began shooting people at the party before taking his own life,” said a statement released by the Colorado Springs Police Department.
A motive has yet to be determined.
“As the chief of police, as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather, as a member of this community, my heart breaks for the families who have lost someone they love and for the children who have lost their parents,” Police Chief Vince Niski said in the statement.
“My vow to this community and to the families who have lost someone today, is that this department will do everything we can to find you the answers you deserve and be here for you with an unwavering support,” Niski said.
Police said they withheld releasing details of the shooting for several hours “in order to properly and respectfully notify family members of the deceased and ensure support was in place.”
The names of the victims will be released later, the statement said.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Peter Cooney)