A second swatting incident in Estes Park occurred Monday night at The Taffy Shop on Elkhorn Avenue less than three weeks after the false report of an active shooter at Estes Park High School and just days after the Estes Park Police responded to a murder-suicide in Pinewood Springs.
When he opened the door he was told that the police had received an active shooter report and that “everyone in the store was down,” said Igel whose voice shook with emotion as he described what it was like to be on the other side of a traumatic event. Within a few minutes of getting the call notifying him as a first responder of the incident, Igel received a phone call from his son, Trevor, who joined the fire department about six months ago and had also received the same call about the active shooter at the store. “What really got to me was Trevor called and said ‘dad are you okay, were you shot,’” said Igel who described how difficult it was to process the fear he heard in his son’s voice.
Estes Park Police Chief David Hayes was on the scene and spoke briefly to the Trail-Gazette. He said the situation appeared to be a swatting incident and that it was unlikely that the town would have any more to say about the matter. “I have not had this much emotion show itself, I can’t remember ever,” said Igel who said it was important for him to go to the fire station and be with the other firefighters and show that emotion with them. “I felt like I needed to do that. I hugged every person who showed up. People do that for firefighters all the time, ‘Thank you for coming. Thank you for helping.
The Larimer County Sheriff issued a statement Monday evening about a murder-suicide that took place Friday around 8:45 p.m. A 911 call from a woman was received by the Estes Park Police Department who provided an address on Button Rock Road in Pinewood Springs located off Highway 36. Gunshots were heard in the background. Law enforcement from Estes Park Police, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, and Larimer County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.