Colorado Governor Ritter Statement On Shooting Incident At State Capitol

July 16, 2007 -- Colorado Governor Ritter issued the following statement regarding today’s shooting at the state Capitol:

“There was a shooting on the first floor of the Capitol this afternoon in the hallway area outside of my office. I was in my office interviewing a judicial candidate and heard what sounded like gunshots.

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“We are very mindful of the visitors who come to this building and the people who work here, and we’re doing all we can to take care of them.

“When there is an incident like this, there will always be a discussion about security. In our democracy, there is a constant tension between security and openness. This is the people’s building.

“There will be heightened security in the building for the remainder of the week while we have discussions about how we maintain that balance. It will be a prudent and thoughtful discussion and it will include leadership in the legislature.

“This is a safe building. I encourage people to keep visiting the Capitol. This is their building.”

The Capitol will re-open to the public and employees tomorrow morning. Access will be limited to the South Entrance at 14th and Sherman. Magnetometers will be in place at that entrance.

Source: Colorado Governor