ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. – A SWAT situation at an Arapahoe County home ended Thursday night with the discovery of an adult woman's body. The hours-long standoff began as a family dispute that escalated to a shooting that left another woman wounded, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said.
According to Julie Brooks, a spokesperson for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a report of a shooting in the 16500 block of East Hialeah Avenue just before 2 p.m. Thursday. When deputies arrived at the home, they found a woman in the front yard suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was rushed to the hospital where her condition is currently not known, but detectives said the injuries were not life-threatening.
Shortly after, a SWAT team was called to the scene where an hours-long standoff ensued. During the standoff, Cherry Creek school officials placed six nearby schools on a secure perimeter status as a precaution. The six schools -- Smoky Hill High School, Laredo Middle School, Indian Ridge Elementary, Trails West Elementary School, Meadow Point Elementary School and Independence Elementary School -- were later deemed safe and allowed to resume normal operations.
Meanwhile, deputies were trying to secure a search warrant to enter the property to search for the suspect. Around 4 p.m., a warrant was granted, and SWAT members began working on tactical solutions to enter the home, Brooks said. Deputies said they were hoping to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution.
Around 6:30 p.m., Brooks announced during a press briefing that a bomb robot, sent in to clear the home, sent back images of the deceased adult female. Brook declined to say where in the home the woman was found or how she died. The identities of the two women have yet to be released.
Brooks could not disclose the exact nature of the women's relationship. However, she did confirm some type of family dispute led to the shooting. Brooks stopped short of calling the woman found dead in the home a suspect in the earlier shooting.
Details leading up to the shooting have yet to be released. Investigators will be at the home through the night gathering evidence. Neighbors, who were instructed to shelter in place during the standoff, were given the all clear.
