ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — Three people, including an Arvada police officer, a civilian and one suspected gunman, have died after a shooting in Olde Town Arvada.
The officer has been identified as Gordon Beesley, who had been with the department for 19 years. He was a school resource officer at Oberon Middle School and was working patrol while school was out for the summer, Arvada Police said.
The second person killed was 40-year-old John Hurley of Golden. Police Chief Link Slate said Hurley was “a true hero” and he “likely disrupted what could have been a larger loss of life.”
The suspect has been identified as Ronald Troyke.
In an interview with FOX31, Arvada Mayor Marc Williams said Monday was a “tough day, and said Beesley was “one of a kind” who had been named employee of the year.
“He was the epitome of what you would want in a police officer,” Williams said.
Williams said Olde Town Arvada had already been hit hard because of the pandemic, but he said the community is “resilient” and will come back stronger.
“We’re going to grieve,” Williams said. “We’re going to certainly have times of sadness. But we have a community that pulls together, just as people pulled together to keep people safe today — to provide safe harbors. That’s the kind of community Arvada is. We’re gonna pull together to get through this as well.”
Arvada City Hall will be closed on Tuesday to allow officers to use city rooms and other resources while they investigate the shooting. Arvada municipal court also will be closed. Cases that would have been heard on Tuesday will be rescheduled.
Police said officers were called to the scene around 1:15 p.m. for a suspicious incident near the library. At 1:30 p.m., 911 callers reported shots fired and an officer hit by gunfire.
Police said the suspected gunman was shot and killed but did not give additional details on the manner of that shooting.
Brady told reporters at a news conference that there was no ongoing search and investigators do not believe there are any other suspects. He said there is no threat to the public, but the investigation will be ongoing for the remainder of the night and possibly longer.
Megan Scharf, who lives nearby, told FOX31 she heard three gunshots and saw multiple police vehicles and ambulances, as well as one vehicle that may have been the coroner.
Scharf said this time of day is usually quiet in the area, although it is a popular shopping and restaurant district during other times of the day.
“Definitely got our adrenaline rushing,” said Arvada resident Brady Turner. “I was in the parking lot getting ready to get out of my car and I heard three shots.”
RTD temporarily stopped service to the Olde Town station on the G Line, but that has since resumed.
City hall is closed for the night and any meetings scheduled to take place there have been canceled. Police are also asking nearby businesses to close for the night.
The square had been cleared by 10:30 p.m. and the city allowed people to return to the area.
People living in the area have been evacuated as police search for possible secondary explosives, which is normal protocol after an incident like this.
For those hoping to make a donation in the officer’s memory, the Arvada Police Department said the only officials donation site is the Colorado Fallen Heroes Foundation. This foundation plans and pays for officer’s funerals.
Donations for Officer Beesley’s family and funeral expenses can be made through the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation website. The Arvada Police Department has also set up a web form for people wishing to make non-monetary donations.