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Colorado police identifies student and woman shot dead in university dorm room; homicide probe underway
Sam Knopp, 24, and Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, have been identified as the two people who were fatally shot in a dorm room at the University of Colorado
Sam Knopp, 24, and Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, have been identified as the two people who were fatally shot in a dorm room at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Police found their bodies with gunshot wounds to the head when they responded to the incident about 6 am on Friday. It's unknown what their relationship was, NBC News reported.
While Knopp, identified as a senior at college, was a brilliant guitar player, Montgomery was not enrolled in the university. She was a single mother of two young kids and was working as a freelance copywriter specialised in health and wellbeing.
“At this point in our investigation, this incident does not appear to be a murder-suicide and both deaths are being investigated as homicides,” stated Colorado Springs Police.
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Colorado Police continues investigation
The El Paso County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy on the two bodies, to identify the victims.
According to police, the investigation is still ongoing, with officers looking for new clues and potential suspects.
“Given this case’s active and fluid nature, additional information about those leads and any potential suspect details will not be released at this time,” a press release from the police department read.
The department further stated that the inquiry so far has revealed that this was an isolated event between parties who knew each other, rather than a random attack on the school or other university students.
“While acknowledging the difficulty of the situation and the withholding of information in the initial stages of the investigation, we owe it to the victims and their families to deliver accountability and justice for this horrific act,” police said. “These are the third and fourth homicides in the City of Colorado Springs this year. At this time last year, there were two homicides.”
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Knopp's heartbroken mother slams gun violence
Expressing her concerns over the rising incidents of shooting, Knopp's mother Amy wrote in a Facebook post: 'There were reports of an active shooter on campus at UCCS where our son, Sam, is a senior. At least one person is dead."
She blamed the attack on a lack of strict firearm regulations.
“PLEASE EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE BUT IT'S THE GODDAMNED GUNS! This hits way too close to home and it makes me want to vomit. All the 'thoughts and prayers' in the world mean nothing without action to back them up,” she added.
The university cancelled the classes on Monday to allow students to take part in a healing session.
"We encourage everyone to come together throughout the day to support one another and intentionally set aside time for healing," the university said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet paid tribute to Knopp. "Sam was a senior studying music and a beloved member of the Visual and Performing Arts department," she said in a statement to the campus community. "He was an accomplished guitar player and an extremely talented musician."
