EVERGREEN, Colo. — A suspect is dead and there are no known injuries following a shooting near Bergen Park in Evergreen, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said late Thursday afternoon.
The Scripps News Group attended a press conference Thursday evening to learn more about what unfolded in Evergreen from Karlyn Tilley, a spokesperson for the JCSO.
She explained that people started calling 911 just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
"People hearing gunshots inside a strip mall up here in Evergreen," she explained, adding that the information was dispatched to authorities as an "active assailant" situation near Ellingwood Trail between Highway 74 near Bergen Parkway. This is just north of the Bergen Peak area. JCSO posted online that they were responding to an "active shooter incident."
When deputies arrived at the strip mall, they began searching the building, which has bullet holes, Tilley said. During that search, they found the shooter, who was alive, and drew their weapons. However, he then shot himself and ended his life, she said.
JCSO did not find anybody else with injuries.
The suspect has not yet been identified. It's not clear if he had one firearm or multiple.
Watch the full press conference from Thursday evening below.
Tilley explained that people heard the gunshots, but nobody had reported seeing the shooter.
"This is really the last thing this community needs, is another type of shooting situation," Tilley said. "And even though at this moment we don't have any victims, it is still very, very rattling, I think, to this community, to law enforcement. It's just not anything anyone wants to hear about."
The strip mall remains closed for the investigation.
Tammy Drozda, whose family owns the nearby Tuscany Tavern, and Kari Renville, a server there, spoke with Denver7 on Thursday, once officials said the shooter was deceased.
"Maybe 10 (minutes) after 4 p.m., the fire alarm went off in the whole building, because all the businesses are connected in one building, and we were assuming something was on fire in the kitchen," Renville said.
She brought everybody who was inside the building outside into the parking lot.
"And then we heard what we thought was an explosion and windows getting broken out," Renville said. "So, we assumed that the medical facility upstairs — something was wrong, something was wrong up there. We were all scattering in the parking lots, running around, trying to get our things, in and out of our vehicles, to get safe, if there was a fire."
When the first deputy arrived at the scene, they asked where and who the shooter was. Renville said everybody was "taken back" upon hearing that and only then learned what had happened.
"We're all holding each other and wondering what's going on, wondering if our fellow community is safe, above us, below us, behind us, underneath us," she said.
Drozda said she grew up in Evergreen and has always felt safe.
"Evergreen — we're going to get through it. We're strong, but it shakes you up a little bit," she said. "I just hope that we all continue to stand together and stand close and support each other and ourselves and our community... It's just so tragic and not knowing what's really going on is something else."
Denver7's Colette Bordelon and Stephanie Butzer contributed to this report.