A Thornton father shot and killed his 4-year-old son, then turned the gun on himself, authorities concluded Thursday.
Kevin Ray Bristol, 30, and his 4-year-old son, Michael, were found Tuesday in the bedroom of their home at 9270 High St. with single gunshot wounds to the head, Thornton police said.
Police investigators and the Adams County Coroner’s Office have concluded that Kevin Bristol killed Michael and then committed suicide, according to a Thornton Police Department news release.
Michael was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after the shooting. Kevin Bristol died at a hospital Wednesday.
Kevin Bristol’s wife, Michael’s mother, called 911 for help the morning of the shootings. The three were the only ones in the home.
“The family was having relationship issues,” said Officer Matt Barnes, a Thornton police spokesman.
Investigators recovered two guns — a handgun and a .22-caliber rifle — from the home. The rifle was used in the shootings, police said.
There was no suicide note, Barnes said, and toxicology results from Kevin Bristol’s autopsy are pending.
The case “remains an active and open investigation,” police said, and it will be presented to the Adams County district attorney’s office for review when completed. Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post
