AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — FOX31 obtained arrest documents following a deadly shooting in a parking lot early Friday morning.
The shooting happened on Oct. 28 around 2:25 a.m. in the parking lot of Boot Barn at 6360 South Parker Road.
According to arrest documents, John Thoren, 42, was sleeping in his Kentworth semi when he heard loud banging noises on the side of his truck and woke up.
Thoren said that when he looked out, he saw a woman who he didn’t know, throwing rocks at the driver’s side of his semi, hitting the front driver-side window.
Thoren “mouthed out the window to the female to ‘stop’ because he did not think the female
would hear him over the running engine of his truck.” Thoren “grabbed a handgun and showed
it to the female through the driver’s window.” Thoren told investigators that he showed the weapon in order to get her to stop throwing rocks but she only turned away to grab another rock, the affidavit said.
After that, Thoren told police that the woman became angry and continued to throw rocks at his truck, so he cracked open the door and told her, “If you don’t stop you are about to get shot,” and that’s when she charged toward him, and he said he felt threatened.
Investigators said Thoren told them he did not know if the woman had something sharp
or was going to beat him with the rock, so “he squeezed a round off and got her.”
After shooting the woman, who has been identified as Rachel Holmes, 46, Thoren told police he waited about 10 seconds and then called 911.
Thoren told police that he shot Holmes because he was scared.
“My number one intention was to protect myself. That was my intent, whatever I had to do to do it. That was what I was thinking,” court documents showed.
Police said Thoren cooperated with officers on the scene.
He was taken to police headquarters and interviewed. After the interviews, police said they arrested Thoren on suspicion of second-degree murder.
During the investigation, police said they did not notice any damage to Thoren’s truck. When they told Thoren, he said he was “surprised” there was no damage, court documents showed.
Thoren told police that he had never seen Holmes before the incident and that they had not had a sexual relationship.
Thoren also said that he made deliveries in the area and he had an agreement in place to park his truck in the parking lot. He told police he felt like it was a safe place to sleep.
APD said that if you have any information about this shooting, and did not speak to detectives on scene, you are asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.