Student arrested in fatal shooting of two people in dorm at Colorado Springs university
A student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs was arrested Monday in connection with the shooting deaths of two people at a campus dorm room over the weekend, authorities said.
The Colorado Springs Police Department said Nicholas Jordan, 25, of Detroit is suspected of two counts of first-degree murder. University spokesperson Jenna Press said he was enrolled at the school when the shooting happened Friday.
Police said officers from the motor vehicle theft unit spotted Jordan in a car less than three miles from campus Monday morning and he was arrested without incident shortly afterward.
The department identified the victims as Samuel Knopp, a 24-year-old student at the university, and Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, who was not enrolled in the school.
The UCCS Police Department was called after shots were heard at Crestone House, an on-campus dormitory, around 6 a.m. Friday. Police found two people dead in the room where shots were fired.
University police requested assistance from the city police, which took over the investigation.
The university was under lockdown for several hours Friday as police worked to determine if there was an active shooter on campus. Police are continuing to investigate but so far have ruled out a murder-suicide scenario.
"Investigative efforts so far continue to indicate this is an isolated incident between parties that were known to one another and not a random attack against the school or other students at the university," city police said.
'Please remember that you are not alone'
The university was closed over the weekend and classes were canceled Monday, though dozens of people participated in a memorial walk at the school of more than 11,000 students and nearly 2,000 faculty and staff.
"As we mourn the loss of Samuel Knopp and Celie Montgomery, my hope is that we will come together as a community, support one another and share in our grief. Please remember that you are not alone," Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet wrote in an email to students.
Sobanet said Knopp was "a senior studying music and a beloved member of the Visual and Performing Arts department."
"He was an accomplished guitar player and an extremely talented musician," she said.
Although Montgomery was not a student, she will be "mourned by our campus community," Sobanet said.
The fatal shooting comes a week after another student died on campus. The Scribe, UCCS' student newspaper, reported that on the night of Feb. 12, nursing student Mia Brown died after having a medical emergency at the rec center on campus.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado Springs university shooting: student arrested, victims ID'd
