Today, around 12:30 p.m. a mail carrier was shot and killed in southwest Longmont.
A mail carrier was placing mail into a standing postal box near Heatherhill Street and Renaissance Drive when a man approached the postal employee and shot him multiple times, said Deputy Chief of Police Services Jeff Satur during a press conference this afternoon.
The postal carrier died at the scene.
The suspect was dressed in all black, with a black hoodie and wearing a blue mask, Satur said.
After shooting the postal employee, the man fled the scene on foot heading south along Renaissance Dr., Satur stated. Police were unable to locate the man despite a thorough scouring of the area with K9 units.
Longmont Police, U.S. Postal Investigative Service and the FBI are investigating the crime, however, no agency was able to share further information on the weapon used at this time.
Shortly after the call came in, a shelter in place order was sent out to the neighboring areas, warning residents and schools to remain indoors. The alert was lifted at 2:06 p.m.
Police have heard from some witnesses. Officers on scene knocked on the doors of homes with cameras that seemed to pointed in a direction to record the crime. Many residents were not home at the time. Investigators ask people in the area to check their footage for any information that may aid in the investigation.
Longmont Police are dedicating all available resources to locate and apprehend the suspect, Satur said. “We are going wherever we need to go right now.”
“This is very unusual for our community,” Satur said. “These crimes, we take them very seriously … Anytime you lose a community member it is devastating to the community.”
Due to the nature of the active investigation, Satur was unable to release details of the shooting or the victim. David Rupert, U.S. Postal Service communications director, said local postal workers are mourning the loss and a support team has been made available to lend comfort to the postal employees. These efforts will continue in the coming days, he said.
“This has impacted us very deeply, when you have somebody like this who’s part of your family and that’s really what we are in this community. You see us in your neighborhoods. We see your children grow up and we see your families and we see you on a daily basis. We become part of your family too. That family impact is going to reach all of at some point,” Rupert said.
The press conference took place only three hours after the event. Michael Dougherty, Boulder County district attorney, announced that several government agencies were doing everything possible to locate and apprehend the suspect.
“The response by Longmont Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspectors, the FBI, the district attorney’s office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have been tremendous. Although it is too early for us to release details I would just emphasize that Longmont Police Department is making significant progress on the investigation in just a short period of time … I am hopeful to have more answers in a few days’ time,” Dougherty said.
Doughtery emphasized that the priority of all agencies involved is to apprehend the suspect as quickly as possible. He encouraged the public to cooperate with investigators and to contact law enforcement with any information they might have.
To share information with the Longmont Police Department, individuals can call 303-651-8501.
As the investigations continues, Satur promised to update the community as information becomes available.
