A suspect was arrested early on Tuesday after breaking into the Colorado Supreme Court building in Denver and opening fire at responding police officers, local media reported, citing authorities.
Possible motives for the incident
The Colorado Supreme Court has been the center of a legal battle that has garnered national attention after it disqualified former President Donald Trump from the state’s Republican primary ballot for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.
The court ruled that Trump was barred by a US constitutional provision that prohibits anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office. Last week, the Colorado Republican Party asked the US Supreme Court to intervene in the case.
During Tuesday’s incident, an officer discovered a small fire had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system during the incident. Police did not say how the fire started or what was burning. They also did not disclosed how the suspect entered the building.
