A Colorado man opened fire at a birthday party, killing six people and himself, after he wasn’t invited to the weekend gathering, according to police.
Teodoro Macias, 28, had been dating Sandra Ibarra-Perez, 28, for around a year and “displayed power and control issues in this relationship,” said Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski at a news conference Tuesday. “At the core of this horrendous act is domestic violence,” he said.
Macias’ “history of controlling and jealous behavior” towards Ibarra-Perez manifested as “trying to isolate her from her family and making efforts to prevent her from attending family events,” police said. Macias wasn’t invited to the birthday party, and authorities said “evidence supports that not receiving an invitation upset him.”
When Macias arrived at the party, there were seven adults and three children ages 2, 5 and 11 in attendance, police said. Macias shot six of the adults “in quick succession” and “in a methodical, direct and deliberate manner” before shooting himself, according to officials.
The other victims have been identified as Jose Ibarra, 26; Mayra Ibarra De Perez, 33; Melvin Perez, 30; Jose Gutierrez, 21 and Joana Cruz, 52.
Police said they responded to the shooting early Sunday at Canterbury Mobile home park on Preakness Way and found six dead adults and Gutierrez, who was taken to a hospital and later died from his injuries.
Another adult family member managed to escape the shooting unharmed, officials said.
The three children were unharmed but were in the home and “to some degree witnessed what occurred,” authorities said.
Three teenagers had also left the party just before the shooting, returned without realizing what had happened and tried to help the victims and the younger kids, according to police.
Police said the history of domestic violence incidents between Macias and Ibarra-Perez hadn’t been reported to authorities.
