CO - Possible Serial Shooter Has Colorado Drivers on Edge #3

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"His body lay in front of her house for 11 hours while police investigated, Willingham said."
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29056143/gunman-started-colorado-springs-rampage-by-killing-bike

 
margarita25 said:

This is really sad to read:

"Witnesses told The Gazette newspaper that the bike rider pleaded, "don't shoot me.""

Re: the investigation:

"Officers quickly loaded the gunman into a vehicle, Nicks said.

Following department protocol, the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, said Lt. Catherine Buckley, spokeswoman for the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Police are withholding the identity of the victims and shooter pending completion of autopsies and identification of next of kin.
The identities likely won't be released until Monday or later, police said.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office will investigate the officer-involved shooting. Once completed, that investigation will be turned over to the El Paso County District Attorney's Office for review."


Gunman started Colorado Springs rampage by killing bike rider
Gunman aimed at a woman standing outside her home before turning and shooting bike rider who pleaded for his life.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29056143/gunman-started-colorado-springs-rampage-by-killing-bike
Click to expand...

"The two, Christy Galella and Jennifer Vasquez, were honored at a vigil Sunday night along with a bicyclist whose name has not been released."

"The assailant, identified by neighbors and acquaintances as Noah Harpham, 33, was killed in a shootout with Colorado Springs police. Police have not released the identities of the shooter or the victims."

http://gazette.com/2-victims-in-col...spree-had-turned-lives-around/article/1562356
 
It's so sad.
Senseless.
Prayers to the family and friends of Christy Galella, Jennifer Vasquez, and the bicyclist.
May they Rest in Peace.
 
Can we do a separate thread for the Colorado Springs shooting.
 
Forager said:
There were what appeared to be two row of three bullet holes each in the window of the Banner hospital in Ft. Collins that was shot on 9/12/14. That suggests that the shooter was shooting short bursts from a fully automatic assault rifle like an M-16 that allows you to keep firing quickly without having to pull the trigger again and again. Individuals aren't generally allowed to own fully automatic assault rifles, but can own semi-automatic versions of them like the AR-15 that can only fire as quickly as you can pull your trigger finger, as Foxfire had mentioned earlier. Some semi-automatic assault rifles can be 'modded' back to fully automatic by someone who knows what they are doing.

All we know about the bullets fired at the hospital is that they were too light or slow to go thru the windows. 22 cal.? [ETA: Or a frangible round of a higher caliber? As I'd mentioned in an earlier post, I've heard that some kinds of frangibles won't penetrate windshields.]

View attachment 83718

Photo credit 7 News ABC, KMGH
Click to expand...

Yes margarita25, AR15 semi auto rifles can be modified to fully automatic by someone who knows what they are doing. It is actually a fairly simple conversion. The 3 round burst patterns of the window in the photo above would indicate someone with firearm training or military experience, imo.
 
Foxfire said:
Yes margarita25, AR15 semi auto rifles can be modified to fully automatic by someone who knows what they are doing. It is actually a fairly simple conversion. The 3 round burst patterns of the window in the photo above would indicate someone with firearm training or military experience, imo.
Click to expand...


I agree that it looks to be fully automatic fire in the window. Is there an actual setting on the gun that shoots in 3 shot bursts VS total fully automatic where you can shoot your whole clip at once?

It seems I recall there is a setting on some fully automatics that allow 3 shot bursts or I maybe getting confused with that is just the recommended way to fire a fully automatic.

Either way I agree it looks like a full automatic weapon fire. Because if someone was just using a semi-automatic I dont think they would be in nice straight lines like that. Notice the straight line going up at an angle. As the muzzle rises on an automatic the gun will creep upwards and off to an angle.
 
With all the different incidents and with this latest incident I think we are dealing with multiple people causing them. I do wonder if they maybe linked to a "group". There may be just a few people as some of them could have done the multiple incidents. But more than 1 for sure at this point. JMO
 
I found this below on a gun blog which matches what we see in the pictures so this confirms what we were thinking that an automatic was used. Cant link to it since its a blog.

" The AK in full auto tends to rise up and to the right "


Also, I found the answer to the other question I had and 3-round-burst is what are typically issued these days for what we consider "automatics". The military realized that with the way the guns rise that it just waists ammunition and so they started to make the automatics just fire in 3 shots bursts. You have to pull the trigger again to get the next 3 shots.

This also confirms what we see in the picture.

These days typically only the larger tripod mounted machine guns are the ones that have true fully automatic all the time. Weapons for individuals are sufficient to have the 3 round burst mode. Its still considered an automatic since it fires 3 shots super fast with one pull of the trigger. It helps the person get the gun back on aim point before he fires the next pull of trigger and next 3 round burst.

ETA: And to be clear "automatics" are only issued to military and special ops type forces and some special VIP people that obtain the required permits. For a person from the public they are illegal and very very difficult to obtain one unless you know someone who can illegally modify one. The penalties involved with owning or using a true automatic illegally is usually a substantial prison sentence.

The public can legally obtain the "Semi-automatic" which fires 1 round with each pull of the trigger. These are often confused with true "automatics" because the word automatic is used in both. The big difference is how many rounds get fired with each pull of the trigger.
 
Hatfield said:
I found this below on a gun blog which matches what we see in the pictures so this confirms what we were thinking that an automatic was used. Cant link to it since its a blog.

" The AK in full auto tends to rise up and to the right "

Also, I found the answer to the other question I had and 3-round-burst is what are typically issued these days for what we consider "automatics". The military realized that with the way the guns rise that it just waists ammunition and so they started to make the automatics just fire in 3 shots bursts. You have to pull the trigger again to get the next 3 shots.

This also confirms what we see in the picture.

These days typically only the larger tripod mounted machine guns are the ones that have true fully automatic all the time. Weapons for individuals are sufficient to have the 3 round burst mode. Its still considered an automatic since it fires 3 shots super fast with one pull of the trigger. It helps the person get the gun back on aim point before he fires the next pull of trigger and next 3 round burst.

ETA: And to be clear "automatics" are only issued to military and special ops type forces and some special VIP people that obtain the required permits. For a person from the public they are illegal and very very difficult to obtain one unless you know someone who can illegally modify one. The penalties involved with owning or using a true automatic illegally is usually a substantial prison sentence.

The public can legally obtain the "Semi-automatic" which fires 1 round with each pull of the trigger. These are often confused with true "automatics" because the word automatic is used in both. The big difference is how many rounds get fired with each pull of the trigger.
Click to expand...

Good researching! Thank you. I'm convinced.

Getting equiped with an automatic rifle and using it to put two decently grouped sets of shots into a single window pane suggests some technical sophistication in that shooter. I think that means that we can't expect ballistic evidence to help us much in narrowing down the list of incidents that this shooter might have been involved in. I'd expect someone operating at that level to arm himself to suit whatever he is trying to do at a particular time, with one type of gun and amunition for one type of attack, and another for another.

That isn't to suggest that one guy or one team is responsible for all of the NoCO attacks, much the ones further south. I'm with you, Hatfield, in thinking that multiple people/teams are making multiple attacks.

I take your point about it being risky to drive around with modified assault rifle, but I wonder how likely it is to be discovered. Would a cop be able to tell if an otherwise legal rifle were automatic if he saw it during a traffic stop?
 
Well, ftr, I was wrong in my guess that the Co Springs shooter would be younger. While many of us locals here have guessed that whoever killed Jacoby and possibly Connolle is/are also younger, maybe we are wrong here too.

This reminds me of something a very close friend told me. She lives VERY close to where Romero was shot. Her guess is that whoever shot Romero also lives very close in one of the upscale homes in the fancy neighborhood closeby (she used the term "spoiled rich kid"), and possibly works in the industrial area nearby. This is just speculation, and her opinion of course, but something to consider imo. As we saw in the Co Springs rampage shooting, the shooter lived right there. Of course I think that incident is different in many ways to the prior incidents we have been discussing.

All food for thought.

Eta: gross how NH was on eharmony. I actually made a quip about eharmony upstream.
 
Forager said:
Good researching! Thank you. I'm convinced.

Getting equiped with an automatic rifle and using it to put two decently grouped sets of shots into a single window pane suggests some technical sophistication in that shooter. I think that means that we can't expect ballistic evidence to help us much in narrowing down the list of incidents that this shooter might have been involved in. I'd expect someone operating at that level to arm himself to suit whatever he is trying to do at a particular time, with one type of gun and amunition for one type of attack, and another for another.

That isn't to suggest that one guy or one team is responsible for all of the NoCO attacks, much the ones further south. I'm with you, Hatfield, in thinking that multiple people/teams are making multiple attacks.

I take your point about it being risky to drive around with modified assault rifle, but I wonder how likely it is to be discovered. Would a cop be able to tell if an otherwise legal rifle were automatic if he saw it during a traffic stop?
Click to expand...

Re BBM
They are hard to tell the difference between a regular "assault weapon" you can buy in the store with semi-auto action, and one if it has full auto capability.

Assault type weapons look dangerous to begin with so I would think if a shooter is carrying one around in their vehicle that they would be very worried about being pulled over in a normal traffic stop. They most likely have it hidden pretty well in the car if they are carrying it around because a LE officer would not be too happy to spot something like that or any gun for that matter. Since I am pretty sure an officer would ask the person to step outside the vehicle at the point they spotted any type of long arm weapon.

Years ago it was common for hunters to carry shotguns in the rear window of the pickup truck because years ago there was not all these shooting incidents and it was common place to carry them around. If you notice nowadays most people even farmers and hunters seldom carry their long arm guns like that anymore because they know LE is not too happy to spot those. Innocent or not.

Which does bring up a good question of where the shooter would be carrying his long arm weapon and what type of vehicle. We had the 1 old orange truck that was being looked at by LE which would be a common truck that would not garner much attention. I used to think that perhaps the shooter had access to some sort of large box truck which would also be inconsipicous. Maybe a work truck is another possibility.
If on a motorcycle it would be tough to hide but I think it would be doable. Some weapons can have the barrel screwed off and on easily. I think some of the assault type weapons have parts that can be removed like that. So if on a motorcycle maybe that is one way they carry it.


No matter what vehicle our shooters are using they most likely have the weapon covered with something. I suppose even a simple towel or jacket thrown over it does the trick if they get pulled over and can act normal during the stop.

The bottom line is they are taking a risk each time they carry a long arm rifle when they go out because they are not easy to hide in a normal vehicle.
 
it's against the law in Colorado to conceal a rifle or shotgun in your car with a round chambered...does not apply to pistols ... just an FYI but I presume an officer if he sees a long gun can ask if it's loaded and arrest you if it is...
 
First large-capacity magazine charge filed in Larimer
Jason Pohl, The Coloradoan, 6:32 p.m. MST November 1, 2015

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The man accused of threatening to burn down a college campus building in Fort Collins has been charged with illegal possession of a high-capacity magazine, marking the first time the charge has been filed in Northern Colorado since controversial legislation was signed into law more than two years ago.

... 29-year-old David Moscow was arrested after a psychologist reported that he was making threats about shooting a security guard and burning down a building at Front Range CC if administrators didn't re-enroll him... .

While he was on a 72-hour hold, investigators searched his home and vehicle and found an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a Glock .40-caliber handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. That was in addition to multiple large-capacity magazines for both firearms — magazines that came under fire in 2013 during a round of legislation immediately following mass shootings in Connecticut and Colorado... .

Moscow posted his $37,500 cash bond on Saturday, was issued an ankle monitor and barred from coming within 50 yards of any FRCC property.
 
There is an interesting article at www.gazette.com (sorry having trouble linking urls again on this device). It explains/justifies why that media outlet decided to release the name of the Co Springs shooter. I am unable to paste snippets as I've used up my free access at that page. From what I could peek at in seconds through quick refreshes lol it had given explanation about wanting to see into the mind of someone like this or some thing along those lines. If somebody could please paste and link I would appreciate it. It seemed like it was a good article that we could relate with here.

The weather is gorgeous here, they say our first snow should be moving in soon. I wonder how and if winter will play a role in the case of our mysterious Noco shootings.
 
margarita25 said:
There is an interesting article at www.gazette.com (sorry having trouble linking urls again on this device). It explains/justifies why that media outlet decided to release the name of the Co Springs shooter. I am unable to paste snippets as I've used up my free access at that page. From what I could peek at in seconds through quick refreshes lol it had given explanation about wanting to see into the mind of someone like this or some thing along those lines. If somebody could please paste and link I would appreciate it. It seemed like it was a good article that we could relate with here.

The weather is gorgeous here, they say our first snow should be moving in soon. I wonder how and if winter will play a role in the case of our mysterious Noco shootings.
Click to expand...

I wasn't able to find that.
 
http://gazette.com/why-we-published...the-colorado-springs-shooting/article/1562444
Why we published the name of the gunman in the Colorado Springs shooting

Within hours of the first shots fired near downtown Colorado Springs on Saturday, the questions began: who was the shooter and why wouldn't police release his name? By afternoon, this much was known: a gunman had opened fire on three people near Platte Avenue and Prospect Street, then died in a shootout with police.

I want to offer some insight to readers who are curious about - and critical of - our decisions in covering this difficult and heartrending story. And I'd like to address the growing movement that urges the media to never use the names of shooters, suggesting that to do so gives them notoriety and may encourage copy cats. The trend has grown as the number of mass shootings around the country has grown - so much so that it has its own Twitter hashtags: #forgettheshooter and #nonotoriety, among others.

Our coverage began online Saturday with reporting on the initial police calls and eye-witness accounts. Our story in the Sunday paper recounted the incident but did not include names of the victims or gunman. On Sunday afternoon, we posted a story on gazette.com identifying two of the three victims, Christy Galella and Jennifer Vasquez. They were later honored at a vigil along with a bicyclist whose name we had not been able to confirm. <snipped>
 
Police release names of 3, including bicyclist, killed in shooting spree near downtown Colorado Springs

http://gazette.com/police-release-n...ear-downtown-colorado-springs/article/1562439

Updated: November 3, 2015 at 5:57 am
The names of the three people killed by a gunman Saturday in downtown Colorado Springs were released Monday afternoon by the Colorado Springs Police Department. The first victim in the rampage was Andrew Alan Myers, 35, of Colorado Springs. He was riding a bicycle when he was gunned down.... <snipped>
 
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