DENVER — A man leaving the scene of a car crash Tuesday shot into the Colorado Supreme Court building and caused “extensive damage” to the building before being arrested by police, authorities said. The incident does not appear to be related to the recent court ruling banning the former president. Donald Trump out of the vote.
Colorado justices have received threats since ruling 4-3 last month that a rarely used constitutional provision barring those who “engaged in insurrection” from office applies to Trump. However, authorities said Tuesday's incident does not appear to be related to that case. Trump is expected to appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court later Tuesday.
“The CSP and DPD are treating this incident seriously, but at this time it is not believed to be related to prior threats against Colorado Supreme Court justices,” the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement, using the acronyms for the State Patrol and Denver Police Department.
The car crash occurred at 1:15 a.m. near the building in downtown Denver, prompting one driver to point a gun at the other, according to the statement from the State Patrol, which oversees security at the building. The gunman soon after shot his way through a window in the Supreme Court building and entered, authorities said.
The statement did not identify the shooter but said he stopped an unarmed security guard and was given a key to enter the rest of the building. He made his way to the seventh floor, fired more shots, then called 911 at 3 a.m.
The gunman voluntarily surrendered to police and no other people were injured, the statement said.
Hours after the crash, a large shattered window could be seen on the ground floor of the building, while glass spilled onto the sidewalk along a busy downtown street. A state patrol guarded it.