UCCS reviewing policies and strategies after third-party review of campus shooting event

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - University of Colorado Colorado Springs officials have released new details regarding the school's shooting event from February.

RELATED: Police confirm that suspect and victim in UCCS shooting were roommates

CSPD responded to UCCS after gunshots were heard in a dorm room back in February. Officers found two people dead, now identified as 26-year-old Celie Rain Montgomery of Pueblo, Colorado, and 24-year-old Samuel Knopp of Parker, Colorado.

The alleged shooter, Nicholas Jordan, recently entered into a not guilty plea last month.

UCCS officials say they requested an independent review of the following: A review of campus response leading up to the incident, recommendations for any policy or process changes needed in regard to that response, a review of campus response following the incident, and recommendations for any policy or process changes needed in regard to that response.

Report findings

The independent report found improvements UCCS could make but did not deem any individual at the university responsible for the shooting.

"UCCS strives to apply the highest standards of training and response to campus safety. Even with that effort, this report highlights how difficult it can be to distinguish between routine, persistent roommate conflicts and issues of a more dangerous nature," wrote a statement from the university online.

Jordan leaves a concerning track record leading up to the alleged shooting

According to the report, Jordan was described in a UCCS police report where he allegedly harassed a female student in Sept. 2023.

Later that year, UCCS officials say Jordan contacted them, letting them know he was being evicted from his apartment for marijuana use and would be homeless. Jordan was then moved in with one of his alleged victims, Sam Knopp, on an "emergency placement," the report says.

Just a few weeks later on Nov. 13, the report says Jordan was identified as someone who was allegedly sexually harassing a female student. That female student withdrew from her classes as a result, the report says.

On Dec. 6, 2023, the UCCS police investigated reports that Jordan had approached various groups of women and made them feel uncomfortable.

That same month, Jordan emailed the residence hall manager saying he had "a bad roommate problem," the report says. Jordan had requested a room change and followed up again on the request a few days later.

The report states Jordan met with a university staff member to discuss his options, but Jordan was later told a room change would not be approved because he could not cite examples of "unfriendly, argumentative, or aggressive conduct by his suitemates."

His roommate, Sam Knopp, also began submitting his own complaints about Jordan in January, according to the report.

MORE: Court documents show UCCS shooting victim made complaints about suspect

On Jan. 10, Jordan followed up with UCCS housing that he was "severely requesting to commute and move into a different apartment." However, the report says his petition was not properly filed out and was not able to move on to a review committee. Housing officials did reach back out to Jordan for clarifications, but Jordan did not respond, according to the report.

On Jan. 15, UCCS police were sent to the dorm because of a fight between the two and their other roommate, Giancarlo Argueta-Agudelo. Documents say Argueta-Agudelo and Knopp were upset at Jordan due to his lack of cleanliness and smoking of marijuana.

Knopp told police that Jordan allegedly clenched his fists, took on a fighting stance, and told him "you better watch your life."

On Jan. 18, records show Jordan filled out a third petition for a move, and the report states it was still not filled out properly.

On Jan. 25, the report says Jordan was offered a room change to a private dorm despite having not properly filled out a petition. UCCS's report says Jordan did not reply.

Jordan is accused of shooting and killing Knopp and Celie Rain Montgomery just a month later.

Recommendations

The following are some recommendations and responses provided to UCCS by a third-party review:

• UCCS should immediately improve its tracking of multiple reports of behaviors of concern from a single student.
• The CARE Team should document its discussions more thoroughly, particularly in cases where multiple behaviors of a single student are noted.
• Given increasing demands for the critical function of the CARE Team, UCCS should ensure ongoing, appropriate support, including additional staffing.
• UCCS should increase its training for Resident Assistants (RAs).

On Thursday, university officials told KRDO13 most of the recommendations have already been accomplished or are in the process of being completed.

Some students say while they feel safe, there's still some frustration on how the shooting was handled.

One student tells KRDO13 they lived in the complex where the shooting happened and didn't know there was an emergency until his friends alerted him.

"Having that sense of security shattered was really, really difficult for me.  Um,  found out later that there were quite a few infractions that happened and quite a few reports that were made that seemed to fall on deaf ears. That was even more frustrating for me," said Jared Abels, a UCCS student.