Twins Both Shot At Range In CO. From Australia

[twyacht]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16627243

Cherry Creek shooting range victims are twins from Australia
By Kieran Nicholson
The Denver Post
Posted: 11/16/2010 08:53:09 AM MST
Updated: 11/16/2010 02:31:42 PM MST

Two women shot — one fatally and the other critically — at an Arapahoe County gun range are twins from Australia, according to Arapahoe County Sheriff's Capt. Louie Perea.

The shootings happened Monday afternoon at the Family Shooting Center at Cherry Creek State Park southeast of Denver.

Both of the 29-year-old women were shot simultaneously in the head. Their names have not been released.

The twins rode in a taxi cab to the range, Perea said.

An autopsy on the dead twin was carried out this afternoon. The women have not been identified pending notification of family in Australia, Perea said.

The surviving victim went through surgery this morning at a Denver area hospital and she remains in stable but critical condition, Perea said.

Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened.

"We have not had the opportunity to interview the victim at the hospital. It obviously is going to depend on her condition," Perea said.

Perea said that until the investigation is further along, investigators won't say whether the gunfire was accidental or intentional.

Doug Hamilton, the owner of the range, said the women were using small-caliber guns and were shot nearly simultaneously.

"The ladies hit the pavement virtually at the same time," Hamilton said.

The incident was only partially captured by a surveillance video camera and investigators have been reviewing the images.

"The only thing you can see is the two victims falling to the ground," Perea said.

The women arrived at the firing range together and showed no outward signs of trouble or duress.

"They were definitely normal," Hamilton said. "We are always aware and watching for signs. There was absolutely no indication."

The women purchased ammunition at the range and were firing small caliber hand guns. At one point they moved from the firing line they were using because a group came in and began using the stall right next to them, Hamilton said.

They spent about 90 minutes at the range before the incident, at times "chatting" between rounds, including two scheduled target changing breaks, which take place every 30 minutes.

Hamilton said the women were not regular customers.

A note was not found at the range.

There were more than 20 people at the center at the time of the shooting, but no one noticed a disagreement before the incident, according to investigators.

Shooting center employees go back and forth, monitoring the people using the range. The women were directly checked on several times during their session, but there was no direct eyewitness to the incident beyond the surviving twin.

Investigators did not release what part of Australia the women come from, or how long they have been in Colorado.

"We are working with immigrations and customs to piece that together," Perea said.

On Tuesday morning, business was steady at the range, with several individuals and parties using the facility.

Hamilton said many regular customers, including law enforcement agents and park rangers, are like family and the center was fielding telephone calls from well-wishers and supporters.

Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.


****

Very sad. Sounds like an AD/ND. But hard to tell..

[Solus]

My hunch is a suicide pact.

[cookie62]

My hunch is a suicide pact.

That would be my guess.

[sledgemeister]

Bloody long way to travel for a suicide pact when they could have done the same thing in Oz.
Will be interesting to hear the final conclusion.

[philw]

very sad indeed

My hunch is a suicide pact.

that is what they are saying here  


this is the updated report i just read tonight

Twins, 29, simultaneously shot in head
Had both been on cultural exchange in US
One supposed to leave US on day of shooting
TWO Australian twin women have been shot at a Colorado shooting range in baffling circumstances that left one dead and the other critically wounded.
The 29-year-old siblings were simultaneously shot in the head at around 2.50pm local time on Monday at the Family Shooting Centre in Cherry Creek State Park southeast of Denver, the Denver Post reported today.

They had been in the US for up to three months as part of a cultural exchange, according to local police.

One sister was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was rushed to a local hospital where she underwent surgery and remains in a critical condition.

Their similar appearance means investigators, who have been unable to speak with the critically injured woman, do not know which twin is dead and which survived.

An autopsy on the deceased woman was carried out today but Arapahoe County Sheriff's Captain Louie Perea said officials don't have enough information yet to call the shooting an accident, a double suicide or foul play.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the two women were from Victoria and that it was providing assistance to their family.

"Consular officials from the Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles are liaising closely with local authorities."

The Department is providing consular assistance to the women’s family in Australia.

Both were described as good-natured, competent shooters who had visited the range at least twice in the past month.

Investigators will examine whether they shot themselves at the same time, whether they shot each other at the same time or whether one shot the other - by accident or design - then turned the gun on herself.

They will also examine whether their guns malfunctioned.

"Everything is on the table," Sheriff's Captain Louie Perea of the Arapahoe County Sheriff's office told News Ltd.

One of the women had been due to leave the US yesterday, the day after the shooting.

The other's departure date was unknown.

One arrived in the country on August 19 and other followed on September 7.

Police are trying to piece together the pair's movements since they checked out of a local inn on Friday, local time - two days before the shooting.

The surviving twin last night remained at the at the Swedish Medical Centre in Englewood, Colorado.

The hospital did not return calls.

No suicide note has been found.

They seemed "normal"

Surveillance videos did not show the incident itself but suggested that there was no third party involved in the double-shooting, KDVR-TV said.

The owner of the shooting range, Doug Hamilton, told The Denver post the women were shot almost simultaneously, adding they had appeared normal prior to the shooting.

"They were definitely normal," he said. "We are always aware and watching for signs. There was absolutely no indication.

"The ladies hit the pavement virtually at the same time," Mr Hamilton said.

The two women has been at the range for approximately 90 minutes when the incident occurred.

They were using small calibre hand guns and ammunition purchased at the range.

At least twenty other people were present at the range when the incident occurred but none had noticed anything unusual about the pair or observed any signs of distress between them.

The pair were observed chatting between shots and stopped at least twice for target changes.

Mr Hamilton said the women were not regular customers, and had at one point changed shooting stalls when another group came and used the one next to them.

Staff monitor shooters constantly, however no one witnessed the incident first hand.

Investigators have refused to release any information about where in Australia the women come from or what they were doing in Colorado.

But have said there have been more developments in the investigation.

Capt. Perea said investigators hoped speaking to the surviving sister to piece together what happened.

"We have not had the opportunity to interview the victim at the hospital. It obviously is going to depend on her condition," he said.
Read more at the Denver Post.
ANYONE with personal problems can call Lifeline on 131 114; Victorian Statewide Suicide Helpline on 1300 651 251; or for more information go to www.beyondblue.org.au. If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide, seek immediate help from a GP or a counsellor. Help and advice is also available on 1800 18SANE (7263) and from www.sane.org


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/aussie-twins-in-mystery-double-shooting-at-colorado-gun-range/story-e6frfkyi-1225954943738#ixzz15XXcK500

MB or anyone else in CO  if you have any extra "real not media" info on this I would be interested in hearing about it
as I would trust more on local locals for the facts than the media

[Sponsor]

[philw]

Bloody long way to travel for a suicide pact when they could have done the same thing in Oz.
Will be interesting to hear the final conclusion.

bit harder in Melb Rob ( where they were from )   I don't know of a range that they could go to as a visitor with out going though all the BS 

here in SA though we have had incidents like that at a indoor range that general public can go to ( 2 separate  times ) and the RO's only 3 to 5 steps away  and they still got the shot off

I feel for the RO's at the time

[sledgemeister]

bit harder in Melb Rob ( where they were from )   I don't know of a range that they could go to as a visitor with out going though all the BS 

here in SA though we have had incidents like that at a indoor range that general public can go to ( 2 separate  times ) and the RO's only 3 to 5 steps away  and they still got the shot off

I feel for the RO's at the time

Yeah but a 1 hour plane trip to sydney or a 1.5 to adelaide is easier than 23hours on a plane to the states?
Guess thats why they call it insanity

[philw]

Yeah but a 1 1.5 hour plane trip to sydney or a 1.5 1to adelaide is easier than 23hours on a plane to the states?
Guess thats why they call it insanity

unfortunately we are closer

yea  who know's  what happened  at the moment

[ratcatcher55]

Maybe they came to see Michael Bane and he stood them up.

Cold harded bastard!

[jaybet]

It's George Bush's fault.