Scenes from outside the Arvada Police Department a day after a shooting left three people dead, including a police officer. (Katie Klann)
Details slowly emerged Tuesday in Arvada, where a police officer, a Good Samaritan and an alleged gunman died in a shooting in the Olde Town neighborhood a day earlier.
The story so far: Arvada Police identified the officer as Gordon Beesley, a 19-year veteran who was a school resource officer at Oberon Middle School.
The gunman was identified as 59-year-old Ronald Troyke by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. Troyke was a resident of Arvada, the coroner’s office said.
Arvada Deputy Chief Ed Brady said Troyke fatally shot Beesley before being shot and killing himself. A bystander who was shot and pronounced dead at a hospital was identified by Arvada Police as John Hurley, 40, of Golden.
“At this time, we believe this person was shot and killed by the gunman,” Brady said.
New Tuesday:
Apartment stormed by police
Workmen were repairing the door of an Arvada apartment off Allison Street Tuesday morning after police knocked it down in a search apparently related to the shooting.
Neighbors say they were evacuated from their dwellings Tuesday night, about four hours after the Olde Town incident, before police in tactical gear stormed the apartment.
One resident of the apartment complex, Soleil Jacquez, said the man who resided in the unit police entered lived alone and kept to himself, barely acknowledging the greetings of neighbors.
“I would say ‘Hi’, that was it,” Jacquez said.
She didn’t know the man’s name.
Other neighbors said the man was so quiet, they hardly knew the apartment was occupied.
Witness: Shooter ‘didn’t seem worried’
A Loveland man says he was yards from from the gunman who opened fire Monday in Olde Town Arvada Square, in the city’s downtown district, killing a police officer and bystander before dying.
Jeremy Wiest was in Arvada looking to buy a car when he saw the horror play out. Wiest said the gunman wore all black, including a tactical vest, and calmly fired a rifle.
“He didn’t seem worried about anything,” said Wiest, who stared at the gunman as he stood near the body of a man, apparently the fallen policeman, in the street. He said he saw the shooter calmly survey the scene, before Wiest took shelter in a nearby business.
Mayor: Prayer vigil planned for Tuesday
Arvada Mayor Marc Williams said a prayer vigil has been planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Peace Lutheran Church, 5675 Field St. He said the City of Arvada plans to livestream the event, but nothing has been finalized.
Middle school mourns slain resource officer
Staff and parents from Oberon Middle School met at the square where the school’s resource office, Gordon Beesley, died in a shooting and walked the four blocks to Arvada police headquarters where Beelsey’s flower-strewn cruiser and police bicycle have become a memorial to the slain officer.
Beesley had talked with Tara Pena, former principal at the middle school, about what they would do if a shooter came to their campus.”
“He said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be the one to chase the bad guy’,” she recalled.
Scenes from outside the Arvada Police Department a day after a shooting left three people dead, including a police officer. (Katie Klann)Scenes from outside the Arvada Police Department a day after a shooting left three people dead, including a police officer. (Katie Klann)Dozens of police vehicles line up to take part in a procession held in the aftermath of a shooting in Olde Town Arvada that took the life of a police officer on Monday, June 21, 2021 in Arvada, Colo. Authorities say a gunman is believed to have shot and killed an officer and another person in a shopping district in a Denver suburb before being fatally shot by police. Police say an officer responded to a call about a suspicious incident Monday near the library in the city of Arvada, and about 15 minutes later, a 911 call came in about shots fired and the officer hit. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via AP) (Helen H. Richardson)Arvada Deputy Chief Ed Brady (Courtesy photo)Police respond to Monday’s shooting at Arvada’s Olde Town Center. Three people, the alleged shooter, a police officer and a bystander were killed. (Courtesy Jeremy Wiest)JUNE 22, 2021 – David Ruppert, Counselor at Oberon Middle School embraces a staff member as they gather at the fountain in Olde Town Arvada where a shooting left three people dead, including Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. The staff from Oberon Middle School marched to the police station where the officers patrol car is on display covered with flowers and several flags. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – Staff members from Oberon Middle School gather at the police station to pay their respect to Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, who was killed during a shooting in Olde Town Arvada. Another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. The staff from Oberon Middle School marched to the police station where the officers patrol car is on display covered with flowers and several flags. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – David Ruppert, Counselor at Oberon Middle School embraces a former staff member Melinda Perry, Social Worker at the school, as they gather at the fountain in Old Town Arvada where a shooting left three people dead, including Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. The staff from Oberon Middle School marched to the police station where the officers patrol car is on display covered with flowers and several flags. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – Staff members from Oberon Middle School walk to the police station with their signs to pay their respects to fallen officer Gordon Beesley. A shooting at the fountain in Old Town Arvada left three people dead, including Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. The staff from Oberon Middle School marched to the police station where the officers patrol car is on display covered with flowers and several flags. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – Melinda Perry a former Social Worker at Oberon Middle School wipes her tears as staff members gather at the fountain in Olde Town Arvada where a shooting left three people dead, including Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. The staff from Oberon Middle School marched to the police station where the officers patrol car is on display covered with flowers and several flags. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – Staff members from Oberon Middle School embrace as they gather at the fountain in Olde Town Arvada where a shooting left three people dead, including Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. The staff from Oberon Middle School marched to the police station where the officers patrol car is on display covered with flowers and several flags. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – The police station where the officers patrol car is on displayed is covered with flowers and several flags as the memorial grows. Staff members from Oberon Middle School gathered at the station to pay their respects. Beesley was a Resource Officer at Oberon Middle School. The shooting took place in Olde Town Arvada where the shooting left three people dead, including Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – Tara Peña pays her respect to fallen officer Gordon Beesley after he was shot and killed in a shooting at Olde Town Arvada. Peña was a former principal at Oberon Middle School and worked with Beesley who was the Resource Officer at the school. The police station where the officers patrol car is on displayed is covered with flowers and several flags as the memorial grows.(Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)JUNE 22, 2021 – Three Arvada Police officers embrace as they pay their respects to fallen officer Gordon Beesley at his car located in front of the police station in Arvada. The shooting took place in Olde Town Arvada where the shooting left three people dead, including Arvada veteran police officer Gordon Beesley, another person was also killed after being shot by the gunman and the suspect was also shot and killed. Beesley car and mountain bike are decorated in flowers and flags. (Photo by John Leyba) (John Leyba)
