A Colorado sheriff’s deputy gunned down an armed man outside a packed family venue south of Denver on Saturday, before taking a female shooter into custody, authorities said.
Cops responded to reports of an active shooter at Main Event Highlands Ranch — a venue that has bowling, laser tag, mini golf and other family-friendly activities — around 11:50 p.m. Saturday and found a man in the parking lot with a gun, officials said.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies told the man to drop his weapon but that he turned it on the officers, prompting one of them to shoot him. The gunman was pronounced dead at the scene despite deputies’ efforts to save him, KKTV reported.
Before the deputies’ arrival, a shooting had unfolded between two women inside the event space, officials said.
“One female had been shot in the chest and also has a wound on her foot. That female was shot by another female, who is currently in custody,” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said during a Sunday morning news conference.
The injured woman was taken to the hospital. Her condition was not clear. A second woman was also hospitalized for a non-life-threatening medical issue, authorities added.
The venue is open until 2 a.m. on the weekends and was crowded at the time of the shooting.
“It was packed. There were a lot of patrons still here when the shots rang out,” Weekly said. “Very dangerous situation. We do know we had multiple rounds fired inside the business. … This situation could have been much worse.”
The suspected female shooter and the armed man shot by law enforcement have not been identified by authorities.
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