DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Police Department says a woman has died after jumping from an elevated roadway on Thursday morning following a pursuit with Auraria police.
DPD said Auraria police responded to reports of shots fired around 2 a.m. at the Springhill Suites Hotel at 1190 Auraria Parkway.
Auraria police said suspect(s) fled the scene in a car when police arrived. Police pursued the vehicle to the area of Alameda Avenue and Kalamath Street.
At that point, one of the suspects got out of the vehicle and left the area on foot. Another suspect left on foot and jumped from an elevated roadway. That suspect was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to police.
The incident is under investigation.
The Auraria Campus released the following statement late Thursday morning:
Dear Auraria Campus Community,
We wanted to provide you with information on an incident that occurred on the Auraria Campus, but that does not involve any members of our campus community.
What Happened
Early this morning, there was a disturbance that occurred in the outdoor courtyard at the Springhill Suites Hotel involving a firearm and reportedly gunshot(s). The suspect(s) immediately fled the scene in a car and the Auraria Campus Police Department pursued the vehicle to the area of W. Alameda Ave. and S. Kalamath St. One suspect fled the area on foot, and another suffered critical injuries after jumping from the elevated roadway while fleeing and was later pronounced deceased. The Auraria Campus Police Department and Denver Police Department are working together, and there is an active investigation underway. At this time, there is no known campus affiliation with anyone involved in the incident.
Due to the nature of the investigation, a crime scene perimeter has been established at the northeast corner of the Auraria Campus at 12th Street and the Auraria Parkway until the investigation is concluded. There is a second crime scene at the intersection of W. Alameda Ave. and S. Kalamath Street, where the vehicle pursuit concluded. Please avoid these areas and we will provide updates as we are able to.
If you have any information about this incident, we ask that you please report it. We included ways to do so at the end of this message.
A Supportive Campus
We understand that our community, like communities across the country, are continuing to manage through stressful and emotional times – from the pandemic to societal unrest. Please know that we are here for you, and have numerous wellness and counseling services available to support you. At the end of this email we provide specific resources and tips.
Our Place as an Urban Campus
When incidents occur on or near our campus or in our city, it is only natural to reflect on our personal and collective safety. Being a part of an urban campus has many wonderful advantages, but we also have to remember that we are in large city. The reassuring news is that Denver is literally considered to be the safest city in America among the top 50 largest metropolitan areas, and we always make the safety and well-being of our community our top priority. That doesn’t mean we are immune from incidents happening, but it does mean that we have strong operations and highly experienced people in place to help keep you as safe as possible.
Sincerely,
Chief Executive Officer | Auraria Higher Education Center
President | Community College of Denver
President | Metropolitan State University of Denver
Chancellor | University of Colorado Denver
