LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The man who Lakewood police said is at the center of a chaotic crime scene that included shots fired at multiple homes, a pursuit that ended with a crash into several houses and an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement has died from his injuries.
That’s according to a Monday afternoon update from the Lakewood Police Department, which identified the now-dead suspect as 51-year-old Anthony Lee Montoya.
The incident, which was first reported just after 8:30 a.m. Monday, prompted lockouts at several nearby schools and an order that residents in the area seek shelter.
According to Lakewood police, it began with a report of shots fired near West Jewell Avenue and South Harlan Circle. In the news release, police said those bullets struck multiple homes in the neighborhood. No one was injured.
When police moved in on the home where investigators said Montoya was "firing off multiple rounds at will," the release said he left in a truck that headed eastbound on West Mexico Avenue – and continued to fire shots at officers along the way.
Law enforcement fired back, according to the news release, and Montoya was hit.
After eluding officers for a short time, police said Montoya crashed into several homes near West Mexico Avenue and Eaton Street before coming to rest in a backyard.
He was taken into custody, and later died at the hospital. The coroner has not yet released his exact cause of death.
As is standard protocol with officer-involved shootings, the Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team will handle the investigation into the incident.
The Jefferson County School District said Alameda International, Great Work Montessori School and Emory Elementary School were on lockout due to the police activity, but those were lifted shortly before 11 a.m. Lasley Elementary School was put on lockdown status, but that was also lifted.
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