Two people and suspect have died following Sunday shooting in Security
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department say they are no longer searching for a suspect that was wanted in connection with a shooting that claimed the life of a deputy on Sunday.
At approximately 5:07 p.m., the shooting happened in the 500 block of Ponderosa Drive in Security.
Sheriff Bill Elder told reporters that two deputies and an officer with the Fountain Police Department arrived at the scene and were immediately met with gunfire.
The officers returned fire and 39-year-old Deputy Andrew Peery was struck in the exchange. Despite life-saving measures, Deputy Peery later died of his injuries.
While on the scene, officers located a deceased woman in the 500 block of Ponderosa Drive.
Witnesses in the area weighed in on what they saw the evening of the shooting.
“I saw two cop cars there and then I went to go look 20 minutes later and there was SWAT and everything down there,” said Adrian Burciaga, a neighbor.
Terry Hampton, another neighbor said he witnessed the deputy trying to pull Peery to safety after he was shot.
“After he (Peery) got shot and hit the ground, the guy (Deputy) got behind the tree, and then when the guy (Paz) went in, he (Deputy) went over and grabbed the guy (Peery) and tried to pull him back over to where he was at,” said Hampton.
Hampton also said that this incident was unusual in the neighborhood.
“We’ve had shootings here before, we’ve had drive-by’s on houses, but that was a long time ago, nothing like this,” said Hampton.
Finding the right words to describe the tragedy that took place yesterday is impossible. As the chief of police and as a member of this community, my heart breaks for the two families who have lost loved ones and for the children who have lost a parent. From the community members who called for help, to the deputies, officers, and investigators who responded to the shooting, we are all left incredibly shaken. These tragedies are things I wish did not happen in our community; in the place all of us call home. When these types of horrific acts happen, there is nothing we can do to fully rebuild what was lost or to replace those who are no longer with us.
To families grieving…
