LOVELAND, Colo. — The overnight killing of a man on a sidewalk has raised fears that a serial shooter might be trolling roads in northern Colorado after a bicyclist was recently gunned down and a driver was wounded.
Police and the FBI have refused to comment on the possibility of a serial shooter. But they have offered a $10,000 reward for information on the first two unsolved shootings that authorities say are related — though they haven’t said how.
The bicyclist was found dead May 18 along a rural road in Windsor, and the motorist was driving on Interstate 25 on April 22 when she was shot in the neck and survived. Officials say it’s too early to know if the sidewalk shooting late Wednesday in Loveland was connected to those attacks.
All three shootings occurred within 15 miles of each other.
“We don’t have any specific information from the shooting that occurred here last night that this case is related,” Loveland Police Chief Luke Hecker said.
However, he noted that there are enough similarities to investigate a possible link.
In the latest case, 65-year-old William Connole was found on a sidewalk along a main street, and responders were unable to save his life. Family and neighbors say Connole had survived cancer and often took late-night walks through his quiet neighborhood.
Sadie Rogers, 15, said Connole was her grandfather and had worked for years in the computer industry before taking a job at Home Depot. She said the nighttime walks helped him sleep after work.
Even when he had cancer, Connole would come to her softball games, Rogers said.
“He just did everything for everyone he could,” she said.
Neighbor Russell Harmon said it seems like the shootings could be linked.
“I’ve got two children and a wife, and I don’t want to be outside playing with my kids, you know, they’re riding bikes or something down the sidewalk and somebody (could) come by and shoot me or them,” he said.
Police say detectives are consulting with members of a task force as they explore whether the attacks are linked.
FBI special agent in charge Thomas Ravenelle said it would be inappropriate to comment on whether the shootings were the work of a sniper.
Shootings are rare in Loveland, a city of about 70,000 people about 50 miles north of Denver.
Windsor police Lt. Rick Klimek said tips were pouring in about the cyclist shooting but so far have not provided substantial leads. The tips have involved years-old shootings, suspicious vehicles and other information. Investigators check each one.
“They’re all going into a database to see what, if anything, fits together,” Klimek said. “People are just hypersensitive now to their surroundings.”
Adding to community concerns, drivers in northern Colorado have reported a string of broken vehicle windows since the I-25 shooting. Investigators so far have found no indications that gunshots were involved in those cases.
