Olde Town Arvada Shooting: 3 Killed, Including Officer

ARVADA, CO — A police officer died Monday after a shooting in Olde Town Arvada, police said. Two others — a suspect and a community member — were also killed in the shooting, according to the Arvada Police Department.

The officer was identified as Gordon Beesley, who has been with the department for 19 years.

Beesley was called around 1:15 p.m. to West 57th Avenue and Olde Wadsworth Boulevard after a report of a suspicious incident, said Ed Brady, deputy chief with the department. More officers were called to the area around 1:30 p.m. after reports of shots fired and an officer down.

Beesley was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Brady said.

The suspect was shot and killed, and another person, described by Arvada police as a "Samaritan," was also killed in the shooting.

A shelter-in-place order was issued for the area and was lifted later in the afternoon. Drivers and pedestrians were asked to avoid the intersection, and nearby businesses were locked down.

Armored vehicles and more than a dozen patrol cars were seen near the intersection.

"This is a very large-scale scene and we are working to make sure we have accurate details," Arvada police said in a tweet sent around 3:30 p.m.

Don’t miss the latest news updates in Denver, Boulder, Arvada, Lakewood and Littleton. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Arvada City Hall closed for the remainder of the day, and the Monday City Council meeting was canceled, Arvada officials announced around 3:30 p.m. The city closures were "to ensure City rooms and other resources are available to assist our Police Department and other public safety partners in responding to the event," the city said in a news release.

A second shelter-in-place was issued around 5 p.m. out of an "abundance of caution," police said. The order was lifted around 8:45 p.m., police said.

Crowds lined the streets of Arvada on Monday evening with flags to watch a procession that was held for the officer.

"Our community has seen immense tragedy today," the Arvada Police Department said in a news release issued Monday night. "Our hearts go out to all of those who were affected by today's incident.

Beesley was a school resource officer at Oberon Middle School, and he was working patrol while school was out for the summer.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with both the Beesley Family and the victim/community member and his family," the release read.