Student arrested after two killed in Colorado dorm

Student arrested after two killed in Colorado dorm
News Desk

By News Desk


Published: 20/02/2024

A student has been arrested after two people were found dead with gunshot wounds in a dorm room at the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs (UCCS).


The victims - a 24-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman - were identified as Samuel Knopp and Celie Rain Montgomery, both Colorado natives.


They were found early on Friday morning with at least one bullet wound each.


Authorities said the two victims knew the suspect, who they named as 25-year-old Nicholas Jordan.


Mr Knopp was a UCCS student and accomplished guitarist who studied music at the school.


The suspect - from Detroit, Michigan - is also enrolled at UCCS, a university spokesperson confirmed.


Police have not provided information about the suspect's possible motive, but say it was "not a random attack against the school or other students at the university".


Mr Jordan was arrested on Monday morning after officers found him in a car in the city.


He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held on $1m (£794,000) bond in El Paso County Jail.


The university cancelled classes on Monday and organised a "healing" walk, during which chancellor Jennifer Sobanet acknowledged that "rebuilding the trust and safety of our campus will take time".


"We're all in this together. I just know he'd be happy to see this," said Haden Gillespie, roommate of Mr Knopp, speaking to the OceanNewsUK's US partner CBS News.


"I just want everyone to know that I love you and we'll get through it together so, thank you all for being here."


The campus is reported to have gone into lockdown for several hours even though the shooting was not considered an active incident.


Colorado Springs sits near the base of the Rocky Mountains and has a population of about 480,000 people.


UCCS is one of four universities in the University of Colorado system - with the others located in Boulder, Denver and Aurora.

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