Fort Collins out of NoCo shooting probe — for now
Northern Colorado's largest police force is watching from the sidelines as neighboring agencies pore through tips and investigate leads surrounding the region's spate of still-unsolved shootings that left two men dead and a woman injured.
The slayings in Windsor and Loveland happened just a short drive from Fort Collins Police Services' jurisdiction. The shooting along Interstate 25 happened just a few feet — literally the other side of the road — from the boundary between Fort Collins police and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.
Despite the proximity, Fort Collins has not yet been asked to put detectives on the case. Fort Collins police is the only major Northern Colorado law enforcement agency — outside of the Greeley Police Department — that does not have anyone working alongside the local and federal investigators tasked with identifying the suspect or suspects and making an arrest, said FCPS Assistant Chief Cory Christensen.
MAP:Northern Colorado shooting locations
"The magnitude of this is what's got us nervous, but we continue to be pretty active in at least receiving information," he said. "It's not our place to inject ourselves into the task force."
Christensen lauded the investigatory power of surrounding agencies. Still, he said Fort Collins is "100 percent" in support of providing any assistance if and when the time comes. That could happen with a formal request or if an incident happened within city limits.
The Loveland Police Department on Thursday joined with members of the special task force that was established after after law enforcement linked the Windsor and I-25 shootings. The task force includes the FBI, Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Weld County Sheriff's Office, Windsor Police Department and Larimer and Weld district attorney's offices.
Sixty-five-year-old William Connole's death late Wednesday night has not yet officially been linked to the slaying of 47-year-old John Jacoby or the shooting of 20-year-old Cori Romero. Officials on Thursday said they could not rule out a link, either.
"It's gut-wrenching to have three seemingly random shootings and not have all the questions answered and not have the suspect or suspects in custody," Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith wrote on Facebook on Saturday morning. "All the agencies involved in the investigations are working tirelessly and are absolutely committed to solving all three of these crimes as quickly as possible."
Larimer County homicide investigator Robert Coleman has been named the task force commander. He has close connections to investigators in Fort Collins. Christensen, praising the cooperation among agencies, said everyone continues to share information as needed.
City police have not yet increased patrols in the city, Christensen said. However, street cops and top brass are having continual conversations about developments in the case and the importance of staying alert for things that look out of place on both the fringes of Fort Collins and in the crowded Old Town area.
Summer events across the city have already kicked off, flooding parks with people and keeping residents out later at night. As of Friday, there were no plans to call off or change policing strategies, though that discussion is revisited before and during each event. Residents are again reminded to travel together and let people know where they are going.
"The organization is very concerned about the fact that our citizens are feeling less safe," Christensen said. Officers are feeling it, too — many live outside of city limits, commute on I-25 and on roads not unlike where the shootings occurred. "They would love for this thing to get solved."
Anyone with information about the shootings is urged to call Larimer County Crime Stoppers at 970-221-6868 or to text 274637 and start the message with NOCO, followed by the message.
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Reporter Jason Pohl covers breaking news and law enforcement for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.