Former student arrested for attempted murder after campus shooting incident at UCCS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - An overnight report of shots fired on the campus of UCCS Monday night prompted a day-long closure and search for a suspect.
The Colorado Springs Police Department, CSPD, has now released the mugshot of the alleged shooter, 25-year-old Jonathan Lee Sovine. According to a press release from UCCS, Sovine is a former student and was not enrolled at the time of the incident. KRDO 13 was also able to confirm that Sovine is a retired Marine.
Classes resumed as normal today, but yesterday the campus was closed for an investigation surrounding Sovine.
Police say Tuesday night, Sovine exited an apartment on campus to confront a student over a parking space and ended up firing a handgun.
The arrest affidavit says Jonathon Sovine pointed the gun at the victim and fired three times as the victim ran away.
The student got away uninjured, but one bullet did hit his coat and left a hole in the fabric.
"I started to listen, and then I see police lights, and I was like, wow, something actually did happen," said Reagan Cruz, a senior at UCCS.
The shots prompted a heavy law enforcement response and alerts across campus.
Cruz tells KRDO 13 that she heard the shooting occur. "I was sitting in my dorm on my bed, it's around like 11 or 10, I really don't remember. And then I'm watching the crime show drama Bones, and I hear a gunshot outside, and then a gunshot from the show, and then a gunshot outside, another gunshot outside. So I was like, hold on, wait a second, did that happen outside or did that happen on my show? And that was really weird," said Cruz.
Police say Sovine ran from the area at the time and wasn't found until late Wednesday morning. Police were able to identify Sovine through security footage.
According to CSPD, officers arrested Sovine on Jan. 13 at an off-campus location without incident.
Law enforcement confirms that Sovine is now booked in the El Paso County Jail on a mental health hold, facing charges for attempted murder, attempted assault in the first degree, menacing, and disorderly conduct.
He’s expected to make his first court appearance next week.
UCCS says it will continue to collaborate with CSPD as the investigation continues. You can read additional updates from UCCS here.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
