A husband and wife were found dead after a murder-suicide Christmas morning inside a Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Colorado — with an ongoing probe into “suspicious devices” also discovered at the grim scene, police said.
Thornton, Colo., police said a husband fatally shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself around 9 a.m. at the Kingdom Hall in the city about 11 miles from Denver.
The man and woman, who were not identified, were married and former members of the Kingdom Hall congregation, police said, adding the Adams County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Materials Unit was also investigating “suspicious devices” found at the scene.
Police originally tweeted there was a large law enforcement presence at the Kingdom Hall, but there was no active threat to the community.
The Sherrelwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses said in a statement they were “shocked and deeply saddened” by the shooting.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the unprovoked attack and loss of life at our Kingdom Hall in Thornton. We are cooperating with the authorities as they carry out their investigation into the event,” the congregation told ABC 7 Denver.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those who have been traumatized by the heinous actions that took the life of an innocent victim and threatened the lives of many others. We are praying for the families of all those affected.”
The Thornton Fire Department had initially responded to a reported fire at the Kingdom Hall, but when they arrived they didn’t spot a fire, instead discovering a “domestic issue,” the department’s public information officer told ABC 7 Denver.
The police department were then called to the scene to take over.
The news station also reported the Adams County Fire Rescue said the incident was domestic, though didn’t elaborate.
Several police and fire vehicles were at Kingdom Hall, according to ABC 7 Denver.