DENVER—Guards shot and killed two inmates at a federal prison after up to 200 inmates battled with homemade weapons in a fight that appeared to be racially motivated, authorities said Monday.
The fight broke out Sunday in the recreation yard of the high-security U.S. Penitentiary in Florence, about 90 miles south of Denver.
U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said earlier that authorities believe the fight started when white supremacist inmates targeted minorities on Adolf Hitler’s birthday.
The Bureau of Prisons identified the slain inmates as Brian Scott Kubik, serving a 15-year term on weapons charges, and Phillip Lee Hooker, serving 25 years for armed robbery.
Fremont County Coroner Dorothy Twellman said Kubik, 40, and Hooker, 41, died of a single gunshot wound each to the chest.
Five other inmates were taken to hospitals with undisclosed injuries, prison spokeswoman Leann LaRiva said. Two were returned to the prison but three remained hospitalized Monday, she said.
The Bureau of Prisons said no staff members were hurt.
LaRiva said the inmates were fighting with rocks, sharpened metal, plastic, and wood.
Guards first warned the inmates over loudspeakers to stop fighting and get on the ground, LaRiva said.
When the fighting escalated, guards fired “less-lethal” rounds before opening fire with bullets, she said.
LaRiva said the less-lethal rounds were similar to bean-bag rounds. She said prison officials would not disclose the exact nature of those rounds, or say how many bullets were fired.
The U.S. Penitentiary is one of three prisons in the Florence Federal Correctional Complex about 90 miles south of Denver.
The others are the Federal Correctional Institution and the so-called “Supermax” penitentiary.
Supermax inmates include Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski and Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.
In January 2007, seven correctional officers at the U.S. Penitentiary were injured in an inmate disturbance.
In 1999, inmate Joey Estrella was found strangled, with his neck slashed and some of his organs removed.
Two cousins who shared his cell were charged with first-degree murder. One was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The trial of the second got under way last week.
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Associated Press Writer Dan Elliott contributed to this report.
