US gunman killed six at party after not receiving invitation

Police say the gunman had been dating one of the victims for a year and there was tension between him and his girlfriend’s family following a get-together the previous week.

PRETORIA, May 12 (ANA) – A gunman who killed six people before shooting himself at a birthday party in Colorado Springs in the United States was upset that he was not invited, the BBC quoted police as saying on Wednesday.

The British broadcaster reported that police said Teodoro Macias, 28, fatally shot his girlfriend, Sandra Ibarra-Perez, 28, and five relatives before turning the gun on himself.

Three children, aged 2, 5 and 11, witnessed the shooting but were not physically harmed, the BBC added.

The shooting took place on Sunday at the Canterbury mobile home park, where families had gathered in one trailer to celebrate, a statement posted on the Colorado Springs Police Department website said.

ABC News quoted Lieutenant Joe Frabbiele as telling reporters at a news conference that Macias had been dating Ibarra-Perez for a year and there was tension between him and her family following a get-together the previous week.

Frabbiele said that the investigation was ongoing, but police were able to determine the suspect’s alleged motive based on interviews with family members and phone communications between Macias and Ibarra-Perez.

“There were no previous reported domestic violence incidents between the two, but family members said he had a history of controlling and jealous behaviour, including trying to prevent her from attending family events, according to police,” Frabbiele said.

Fox 8 News said a neighbour, Gladis Bustos, tearfully recalled the home’s owner, whom she identified as Joana, as a warm-hearted, hard-working person who always took the time to say hello to her neighbours.

“She was an incredibly pleasant woman, very beautiful, happy all the time. She loved to chat. And she was very proud of her family.

“We’re all in shock, how can this happen here? This is all so painful, so devastating, so overwhelming,” Bustos said.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher