19-year-old arrested, accused of shooting while driving in Downtown Cañon City

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) - A 19-year-old faces multiple charges after he reportedly fired several shots out of his car while driving in the Cañon City Downtown Historic District.

Thursday at 12:19 a.m., the Cañon City Police Department responded to multiple reports of shots fired in the areas of the 400 to 500 blocks of Royal Gorge Blvd., Highway 50, Main Street, Macon Avenue, and Greenwood Avenue.

At the scene, CCPD found and interviewed several victims and witnesses. They reported a dark-colored sedan with a lone driver, wearing a mask, and brandishing a handgun. One victim said that the man aimed and fired several shots toward her general location and then drove away.

Shortly after leaving, several more shots were fired before police arrived.

While on the scene, officers heard more shots fired north of their location. After going to that area, CCPD said officers contacted a vehicle that matched the description given by victims and witnesses.

During the stop, CCPD said offices were able to establish probable cause and arrested the driver.

The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Ashton Beicker, of Cañon City. He was arrested on charges of Criminal Attempt to Commit 1st Degree Assault (F4), Illegal Discharge of a Firearm (F5), Menacing (F5), and Reckless Endangerment (M2).

Despite the arrest, the CCPD is asking anyone with information on this shooting to come forward. Specifically, the department would like to know if there might've been additional shooting locations in the general area described by police.

People are asked to contact Detective K. Roquemore with the CCPD.

Residents who live around this incident, which spans the location between the 400 and 500 block of Royal Gorge Blvd., and north to the area of N. 7th St. and Whipple Ave., are asked to check to confirm if their property sustained any damage related to this incident. If so, those residents are asked to contact CCPD.

CCPD said Beicker is being held at the Fremont County Jail. His bond is pending advisement.

According to arrest records, Beicker told police he didn't know why he fired the shots but he was having "a rough day."

The document shows officers smelled alcohol on Beicker, and Beicker told them he had two shooters of Captain Morgan earlier that evening.

Police officers asked Beicker why he fired the shots, and he replied, "he received bad news about his leg/ankle, and he has been out of work."

The records show Beicker admitted to police he fired the shots but said he fired them into the air.

According to the records, officers told Beicker they didn't believe him after reviewing security camera footage of the incident. They told him they believed he intentionally shot at people downtown.

Beicker told officers that he was having trouble remembering what happened, saying that he became delusional and "it overcame him."