A man killed a person in an neighboring storage unit in Larimer County, sparking a massive police search that ended late Monday when the suspect was found dead, police said.
Deputies responded to a call just after 4 p.m. at a storage- unit business in the 2600 block of East Mulberry Street, which is just east of the Fort Collins city limits.
They found a man dead from multiple gunshot wounds inside one of the units, Sheriff James A. Alderden said in a news conference.
After searching the business park, SWAT officers found the body of the suspect locked inside an adjoining storage unit along with a handgun that is believed to be the murder weapon, Alderden said. Police believe the suspect shot himself.
Alderden did not identify the suspect or the victim, but he said the men, who rented the neighboring units, had been involved in verbal altercations.
“Based on our initial information on the likely identities, we believe there has been some ongoing conflict between these two gentlemen in the past,” Alderden said during the news conference, streamed by 9News. “There were a couple of letters written to management. & It appears to be some verbal conflict about snow removal and fumes and that sort of thing.”
Police blocked off the area for hours, scaring people in the area. They were asked to stay in their buildings or out of the area because police feared that an armed man was on the loose.
Pat Phillips, whose carpentry business is in the park, said he heard authorities would be going door-to-door, searching businesses.
“We just locked the door and are going about business,” Phillips said before the suspect was found dead.
The sheriff still was considering searching numerous other units at the business, which houses about 50 units, he said.
He also expected to search vehicles in the parking lot, but he was waiting for search warrants to be approved.
Police do not expect to find any other victims but said they want to conduct the searches just to be sure.
The identities of the victim and suspect are scheduled to be released today after an autopsy.
Besides the conflict between the storage-unit renters, Alderden said there had been no other motive for the shooting.
It was still unclear late Monday as to whether the men had any other relationship beside sharing a wall between their storage units, he said.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com
