A man suspected of fatally shooting a woman and wounding two others inside a Colorado church Friday is believed to have been killed by police Wednesday afternoon, Aurora police said.
Jose De Jesus Montoya Villa, 31, has been tentatively identified as the person killed during a traffic stop after what police described as a “crime spree” Wednesday, police said. The coroner’s office will confirm his identity.
A arrest warrant had been issued for Montoya Villa in connection with Friday’s shooting at the Iglesia Faro De Luz. The shooting that killed one person and wounded two others happened as an event with about 20 people was taking place.
Police have said Montoya Villa had a personal connection with one of the shooting victims.
Wednesday's crime spree began around 3:45 p.m. when police received reports of that a man had fired shots in a parking lot and one man had been wounded. The suspect then stole a car at gunpoint and got into a hit-and-run accident, police said.
Shortly after 4 p.m., a man matching the description of the carjacking suspect robbed a liquor store, police said.
Around 4:30 p.m., another person was carjacked near an interstate, and officers saw the stolen vehicle minutes later.
“The officers attempted to make a stop on the car, were confronted by this armed male, shots were fired by the police,” police Agent Matthew Longshore said.
A gun was recovered at the scene of the shooting, according to police.
Officers only learned the identity of the man who was killed in the shooting after they went to the hospital, Longshore said.
The man who was shot in the parking lot had injuries not thought to be life-threatening. No other major injuries were reported, and no officers were wounded.
A multi-agency team will investigate Wednesday's shooting. The investigation will include whether the man killed by police had shot at the officers, Longshore said.
The two officers who fired their weapons were wearing body cameras, police said. They have been placed on paid administrative leave.
