The man suspected of shooting and killing three people inside a Thornton Walmart on Wednesday night made his first appearance before a judge on Friday morning.
Scott Ostrem, 47, who is currently being represented by a public defender, answered only 'yes' or 'no' questions and looked towards the ground during the majority of his initial appearance.
Despite a request by the prosecution for more time in filing charges, the judge set Ostrem's next court date for Monday at 1:30 p.m. He's expected to learn the charges he will face during that appearance, but will be held without bond in the meantime.
“There’s going to be several counts of attempted murder and we’re talking about many, many, many people, we’re not talking 3 to 4 people,” Adams County District Attorney Dave Young told 9NEWS. “We’ve got to identify those individuals, they’re victims of a crime. They should be part of the original complaint.”
Ostrem's defense team asked the judge for access to the Walmart crime scene for an "independent evaluation" aimed at preventing destruction of evidence, but the judge said he did not have the authority to do so.
If charged with first-degree murder, Ostrem could face life in prison or the death penalty.
Ostrem is accused of walking into a Walmart with a handgun and “nonchalantly” opening fire on a group of people standing near cash registers toward the front of the store.
Carlos Moreno, Victor Vasquez, and Pam Marques were killed in the shooting. The motive remains under investigation.
Ostrem arrested on Thursday morning near 77th and Federal Boulevard – nearly 14 hours after the shooting. He was taken into custody about a mile from his home and was driving a red Mitsubishi Mirage at the time.
Detectives and police sifted through video surveillance from inside the store for hours to identify Ostrem as the suspect.
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