Suspect in Colorado Springs officer-involved shooting killed by law enforcement in Iowa during separate shootout
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A suspect wanted for an officer-involved shooting in Colorado Springs that left a woman severely injured is dead following a separate shootout with law enforcement in Iowa, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) said.
On Thursday, DNA evidence taken from the Colorado Springs shooting led investigators to identify the suspect as a 51-year-old Vonderrick Rayford from Wisconsin. They subsequently discovered he had died in a shootout with Iowa police two days after the Colorado Springs shooting, EPSO said.
Background information
On April 13 at approximately 12:25 p.m., officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) responded to a report of individuals throwing rocks at windows behind the old Red Lobster location at 4925 North Academy Blvd.
When the first officer arrived on the scene, she heard at least one gunshot and spotted a woman lying on the ground. When she exited her vehicle, the suspect opened fire at her, EPSO said. The officer, who was not hit, returned fire before the suspect ran from the scene.
The woman found on scene had suffered at least one gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. According to the latest update from EPSO, she remains in critical condition.
Police issued a shelter-in-place for a block of North Academy at around 2 p.m. as they worked to identify and locate the suspect.
New developments
On Thursday, EPSO discovered that the suspect they had been looking for had been killed by law enforcement in Iowa only two days after the shooting on North Academy Boulevard.
According to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) of Iowa, just after 1:30 a.m. on April 15, Rayford was pulled over in a Colorado vehicle for excessive speeding.
During the traffic stop, Rayford exited his vehicle and fired multiple shots at the deputy "without provocation," the office said. A brief standoff ensued, and additional law enforcement was called to the scene, who returned fire at Rayford.
Rayford was ultimately shot in the standoff, and was pronounced dead on scene, DCSO said.
A subsequent investigation revealed the car Rayford was driving was stolen in Colorado; likewise, the firearm he was using was also determined to be stolen.
Additionally, Rayford had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Wisconsin.
Despite this development, the investigations into both the Colorado Springs officer-involved shooting and the attempted murder of the female victim remain active and ongoing, EPSO said.
