Roundup: 7 people die in birthday party shooting in U.S. Colorado

2021-05-10 09:36:04 GMT2021-05-10 17:36:04(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

LOS ANGELES, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Six adults were killed early Sunday morning when a suspect opened fire at a birthday party in Colorado Springs, a city in the U.S. state of Colorado, police said, adding the suspect took his own life on the scene.

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said in a statement Sunday afternoon that they responded to a shooting call at the Canterbury Mobile Home Park at approximately 12:18 a.m. local time (0718 GMT on Sunday).

"Upon arrival, officers located six deceased adults and one adult male with serious injuries who was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries," the statement read.

The CSPD said that through an initial analysis of evidence and preliminary interviews they believed the mass shooting incident occurred when a birthday party was being held for one of the victims.

The suspect, the 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.

The children at the scene were not injured by the suspect, police said, noting they were still investigating to determine the motive. More details would be released later.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski made some emotional remarks in the statement, saying, "Words fall short to describe the tragedy that took place this morning."

"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," he said.

"This is something you hope never happens in your own community, in the place that you call home," he added.

According to The Gazette, a Colorado Springs-based newspaper, the party was to celebrate the birthdays of Nubia Marquez, 28, and her brother, Melvin Perez, who would have turned 31 this week, as well as their mother, Joana Cruz, who would have turned 54 this week.

Nubia Marquez and her husband Freddy Marquez left the party at about local time 10:00 p.m. (0500 GMT on Sunday), hence survived the tragedy, in which both Melvin Perez and Joana Cruz were killed.

The local newspaper reported that a woman who lives in the mobile home park said she awoke to the sound of what she believed were gunshots, eventually heard people crying outside and saw two young children were put in the back of a patrol car.

"And on Mother's Day," said the woman, who did not wish to be named.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis also issued a statement, saying the incident was "devastating."

"The tragic shooting in Colorado Springs is devastating, especially as many of us are spending the day celebrating the women in our lives who have made us the people we are today," Polis said in the statement.

Sunday's incident is the fourth deadliest mass shooting in Colorado's history and the second mass shooting within 60 days in the state. On March 22, a gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. Enditem

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