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One man dead after Grand County shooting

Caddie Nath & Sky-Hi Daily News staff
Investigators from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation examine a truck at the scene of a shooting in Hot Sulphur Springs on Monday morning. Byron Hetzler/Sky-Hi News
Byron Hetzler/Sky-Hi News | Sky-Hi News

HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS – A 31-year-old man died Monday night after he was reportedly shot during a violent altercation at the home of a Grand County Sheriff’s deputy and his wife, a local prosecutor. The deputy district attorney called 911 just before midnight Monday, saying a stranger was at her front door behaving erratically. Authorities say shots were fired outside the residence on the 500 block of Grand Avenue in Hot Sulphur Springs after an intruder pushed his way into the house. Initial reports indicated a sheriff’s deputy was the shooter, although officials would not confirm whether it was the officer living at the residence who fired the shots. “We know shots were fired,” said Pam Russell, spokeswoman for the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which is assisting with the investigation. “We don’t know what shots might have killed him. Until they complete an autopsy we won’t really know.” The man died from a gunshot wound, Grand County Coroner Brenda Bock confirmed. At press time, the victim’s identity had not been released. The coroner said the man was not from Grand County. Both the deputy DA, who works for the 14th Judicial District, and the sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries during the altercation leading up to the shooting. Both have been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Authorities are not releasing the names of anyone involved in the shooting, but the incident reportedly took place at the former Riverside Hotel, a property owned by deputy prosecutor Heather Stein and her husband, sheriff’s Lt. John Stein, which was being converted to a single-family home.Initial witness reports indicate at least two people saw the shooting. A neighbor, Tim Nicklas, reported hearing three consecutive gunshots Monday night. When he went to the scene he heard John Stein telling officers, “The family’s fine. The kids are OK.” The Steins reportedly have four children who live at the Grand Avenue residence.Another witness said she saw a scuffle take place in front of the Riverside property. A neighbor reported hearing “shouting and screaming” around 10:30 p.m. and then heard a four-wheeler drive up Parshall Divide before the noise died down. The neighbor put the disturbance nearly an hour and a half before the prosecutor’s 11:50 p.m. 911 call. Officials say they have no reason to suspect the incident had any connection with recent shootings of law enforcement officials in Texas and Colorado. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation with the help of the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office as both Grand County Sheriff’s Office and the 14th District Attorney’s Office are directly involved in the case.


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