The bodies of the two victims who were murdered in a dorm room at UCCS have been identified.
On Feb. 17, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office identified the bodies of 26-year-old Celie Rain Montgomery and 24-year-old UCCS student Samuel Knopp, who were shot and killed by a suspect who has yet to be identified in a dorm room at Crestone House located in Alpine Village.
“Investigative efforts so far continue to indicate this is an isolated incident between parties that were known to one another and not a random attack against the school or other students at the university,” the CSPD wrote in a press release on Feb. 18.
The CSPD said additional information about the investigation will not be disclosed at this time, including information on a suspect.
Authorities have refused to say why they believe there is no safety risk on the campus despite there being no information on a suspect.
“We have intentionally restricted the amount of information made available to the public during the initial 48 hours of this investigation,” the CSPD wrote.
They noted UCCS police have plans to ensure the campus’s safety.
The coroner’s office has not yet released information on the cause and manner of death, but the deaths are being investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department as a homicide.
A call for shots fired in a dorm room at Crestone House happened just before 6 a.m. on Feb. 16. The responders gained access to the room around 6:05 a.m. and discovered the victim’s bodies, both of which had at least one gunshot wound on them.
These are the third and fourth homicides in the city of Colorado Springs this year. There were two homicides at around this time last year.
Anyone with information related to the investigation can contact the CSPD at 719-444-7000.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the Crime Stopper Tip Line at 719-634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
This story is developing and will be updated as more details become available.
Photo via Jared Dean | KKTV.