A man was arrested early Tuesday after breaching the Colorado Supreme Court building, holding a guard at gunpoint and opening fire inside, the local authorities said. No injuries were reported, although the judicial center suffered extensive damage.
The incident, coming two weeks after the court voted to bar former President Donald J. Trump from Colorado’s 2024 presidential primary ballot, occurred at a time of rising tension across the country over legal challenges to Mr. Trump’s eligibility to run for president.
Justices on the court have reportedly received death threats since the decision concerning Mr. Trump was handed down, but the authorities in Colorado said they did not believe the shooting on Tuesday was associated with those threats, which remain under investigation.
The man who opened fire inside the Colorado judicial center, which houses the state’s Supreme Court and other judicial agencies, had been involved in a car crash nearby and had reportedly pointed a handgun at the other driver, the State Patrol said in a news release.
He then shot out a window of the Judicial Center, entered the building and held one of the security guards at gunpoint, demanding the guard’s keys. The guard was not armed.
The suspect then went to the 7th floor and fired additional shots, the authorities said.
Denver police officers and Colorado state troopers surrounded the building. At 3 a.m., officials said, the suspect, who the police have not publicly identified, called 911 and surrendered.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.