Authorities have identified the gunman who shot a Colorado State Patrol trooper along U.S. 36 as Victor Anthony De Santiago, a 32-year-old man from Thornton, also known as “Spider” by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. De Santiago shot and injured Cpl. Tye Simcox before being killed in a shootout with the trooper on Saturday.

According to Colorado State Patrol officials, De Santiago had an extensive criminal history in Colorado and California, starting from his juvenile years. His record includes minor traffic violations, failure to appear in court, making false reports to law enforcement, and multiple counts of felony assault and menacing since 2015.

The Adams County Coroner’s Office confirmed De Santiago as the shooter, but did not release the cause of his death. Simcox was shot once in the arm while parked on U.S. 36 and managed to apply a tourniquet before being taken to Denver Health for treatment and later released.

The investigation is ongoing to determine a motive for the shooting as authorities continue to interview Simcox.

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Original Publication Date: September 10, 2024 at 12:08 p.m.