Michael R. Close, who is from Denver, Colorado and is a 36 years old man, has been charged with murder. He allegedly shot at a couple over dog poo.
Isabella Thallas, a 21-year-old female, has lost her life after she was shot by the suspect who did not approve of the way she was handling her boyfriend’s dog.
Thallas, who had celebrated her birthday two days before the incident, and her boyfriend, Darian Simon, were out with their pet in the vicinity of Coors Field when they were confronted by Close.
Close, who for the time being remains the only suspect of the crime, reportedly shouted at the couple from his apartment and criticized them for not training their pet properly.
According to Simon, initially, he tried not to pay any attention to Close, but that is when the angry citizen started shooting at him and his girlfriend.
Denver District Attorney Beth McCann shared: “Both victims had disengaged from Close and were tending to their dog when it is alleged that Close began shooting.”
As a result, Simon was shot twice and quickly hospitalized, whereas his partner could not be saved. Following the incident, authorities detained Close, while he was trying to flee the city.
Upon arresting the suspect, police also discovered in his possession an AR-15 assault rifle, in addition to a handgun, magazines, and ammo.
The mother of the deceased, Ana Thallas, took to social media to reflect on the loss of her child, as she wrote on Facebook, “Today we lost a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend.”
The distraught parent also asked others to respect the privacy of the grieving family and her daughter’s life by “keeping this positive and loving.”
Thallas’s father said: “My heart is broke. I’ve never gone to sleep crying and woke up crying in my life … I can’t replace what was taken today.”
Meanwhile, it was reported that Close will face numerous charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder and three counts of possessing an illegal high-capacity magazine.
The community has been deeply affected by what happened. One neighbor explained: “Living in the apartment where this horrible thing happened, I’ve been deeply sad. I hope she meets good people where she is now.”
Some have said that the senseless killing shows why gun control is needed in this country. However, politicians have not been able to address the issue in a significant way in over two decades.
