Teodoro Macias Jr. was named as the suspect who police say shot and killed six people at a birthday party in the Canterbury Mobile home park in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on May 9, 2021.
“Words fall short to describe the tragedy that took place this morning. As the chief of police, as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather, as a member of this community, my heart breaks for the families who have lost someone they love and for the children who have lost their parents,” said Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski in a news release.
Macias was first named by Daily Mail. Details on his Facebook page also match details in local media about the shooter – that he was dating victim Sandra Ibarra and was called “Junior.”
“At the core of this horrendous act is domestic violence,” Chief Vince Niski said in a news conference. “The suspect, who was in a relationship with one of the victims, displayed power and control issues in this relationship. When he wasn’t invited to a family gathering, the suspect responded by opening fire and killing six victims before taking his own life. No family should ever have to experience this kind of loss. Our hearts continue to ache for this devastating loss.”
Five weeks ago, Macias wrote “My cutie 😘😍” under this photo of Ibarra, who was also killed in the rampage. She wrote that she loved him and he responded, “love you chula hermosa 💓💓” Her top post on Facebook is a video of a watch that she thanked him for giving her, and her page is filled with loving comments back and forth with Macias. In another post, her referred to her as “my life.”
FacebookSandra Ibarra
She shared a graphic that said, “His love gives me life.”
“From the officers who responded to the shooting to the investigators still on scene, we are all left incredibly shaken,” Niski wrote.
“This is something you hope never happens in your own community, in the place that you call home. When these types of unspeakable acts happen, there is nothing that can be done to fully rebuild what was lost or replace those who are no longer with us. My vow to this community and to the families who have lost someone today, is that this department will do everything we can to find you the answers you deserve and be here for you with an unwavering support.”
Family members identify victims in Colorado Springs birthday party shooting t.co/FTY6l7MMP8
Here’s what you need to know
1. Police Say the Shootings Occurred at a Family Birthday Party
FacebookVictim Joana Cruz
The Colorado Springs Gazette reported that party was for Nubia Marquez, 28, and her brother, Melvin Perez, who would have turned 31, and their mother, Joana Cruz, who would have turned 54 this week.
Colorado Springs police Lt. Joe Frabbiele confirmed Macias’s identity. He said two families were gathering together in the residence to celebrate the birthdays of their family members. The families are associated with each other through the marriage of Melvin and Mayra Perez. It was at the residence of Joana Cruz, Melvin’s mother, who also had other children present at the party. When the suspect arrived, 10 family members were present, seven adults and three children,
The suspect arrived alone and shot all six victims “in quick succession” and then shot himself, Frabbiele said in the news conference. Police received two 911 calls. One call from inside the residence captured the sound of rapid gunfire. One adult family member escaped the residence. The three children were unharmed. The children were in close proximity and to some degree witnessed the shootings, according to Frabbiele. Several other family members had left the residence briefly and discovered what happened when they arrived back home. A neighbor also called 911. When officers arrived, one victim was alive but was gravely wounded. He told the police that the suspect was still inside. Officers then cleared the residence and rendered medical assistance. There had been conflict between the suspect and family members at another gathering a week before.
“My mom had always liked celebrating them together,” said Nubia Marquez to the Gazette.
Those killed included Jose Guttierez, 21; Joana Cruz; Melvin Perez’s wife, Mayra Perez, 32; and Mayra’s sister Sandra Ibarra and brother Jose Ibarra, according to police.
Esmeralda Gutierrez wrote on Facebook, “Today I lost my mother Moralez Jcmoralez brothers Jose Gutierrez and Melvin Perez and my sister in law Mayra Perez I ask everyone to keep my family in there prayers today as we go through this difficult time.”
FacebookVictim Jose Gutierrez
According to a news release from Colorado Springs, police, on May 9, 2021, CSPD “responded to a shooting call for service at the Canterbury Mobile Home Park at approximately 12:18 A.M. Upon arrival, officers located six deceased adults and one adult male with serious injuries who was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”
It was supposed to be a celebration.
“Through an initial analysis of evidence and preliminary interviews, it appears that a birthday party was being held at the trailer in the 2800 block of Preakness Way for one of the victims. Friends, family, and children were gathered inside the trailer to celebrate when the shooting occurred.”
2. Macias & Ibarra Filled Facebook With Gushing Comments About Each Other
FacebookSandra Ibarra
Police say the motive was domestic violence. Freddy Marquez told the Gazette that the shooter was Sandra Ibarra’s boyfriend.
Police confirmed that and said he had a history of jealous and controlling behavior with the victim, making efforts to isolate her from her family and prevent her from attending family events. There were no previous domestic incidents reported to police during what police called a one-year relationship. The suspect does not have a criminal history.
The firearm was recovered under the suspect. It was loaded and contained live ammunition. The firearm was a Smith & Wesson handgun equipped with two 15 round magazines. It was purchased from a dealer in 2014 from a local gun store. The suspect did not purchase the firearm originally. Police are still investigating how the suspect came to possess the handgun.
On Facebook, Macias wrote that he was in a relationship with Sandra Ibarra. He also wrote that he had been in a relationship since only February. However, she wrote that she had been in a relationship with him since 2020. In March, she shared a video of a romantic desert scene and wrote Macias, “Baby take me 😄.”
A person who knew Ibarra wrote on Facebook, “This all makes me so sad. Sandra was an amazing woman. I don’t know this man or why he did what he did. All I know is Sandra is no longer suffering and I wish her family the most peace.”
Two months before the murders, she shared this collage of herself with Macias.
“The suspect, a boyfriend of one of the female victims, drove to the residence, walked inside and began shooting people at the party before taking his own life. This horrific act has resulted in the death of six adult victims,” said police.
Police say the suspect spared the kids present. “The children at the trailer were uninjured by the suspect and are now with relatives. We are still investigating to determine a motive,” they wrote.
3. The Shooter Was Described as ‘Quiet’ & ‘Serious’
FacebookMacias
The gunman was described as “quiet” and “serious” by the Gazette, which reported that he always carried a gun and was nicknamed Junior. “I AM MORE THAN WHAT YOU SEE.🤑” he wrote with a selfie on Facebook in 2019.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said: “Today we find ourselves mourning the loss of lives and praying solemnly for those who were injured and those who lost family members in a senseless act of violence on Sunday morning. We think too of the emergency personnel who responded to a horrific scene and we keep them in our prayers today.”
FacebookVictim Melvin Perez
Police continued, “We ask the public’s patience with the investigation and we seek the sensitivity of our media partners as CSPD completes a thorough investigation to provide answers to the families and friends impacted by this tragedy.”
Anyone who has information about this crime, or is a witness who has not spoken with detectives, “is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000; or if they wish to remain anonymous, they can call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.”
4. The Shooter, Who Posted a Picture of a Gun on Facebook, Took His Own Life
FacebookA photo on Macias’s Facebook page.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the gunman took his own life.
Macias posted a photo of a gun lying on a stack of money on Facebook in 2019. It’s not clear whether it’s a stock photo or a picture he took.
The Colorado Springs Police Department’s (CSPD) Communication Center “received a report of a shooting at a residence in the 2800 block of Preakness Way. When CSPD officers arrived on scene, they located multiple deceased victims inside the residence,” says the release.
Based on the preliminary investigation, “it is believed that the suspect in this incident is also deceased inside the residence. It appears that the suspect and the victims were known to each other,” the initial release said.
The coroner’s office will determine the official cause of death.
5. It Was the Fourth Deadliest Mass Shooting in Colorado’s History
FacebookVictim Mayra Perez
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the shootings were the “fourth deadliest mass shooting in state history, and the deadliest gun-slaying in Colorado Springs history.”
Gladis Bustos, a neighbor, told the Gazette that victim Joana Cruz, was “a warmhearted, hardworking person who always took the time to say hello” and bragged about her kids.
READ NEXT: James Brian Chadwell Investigated as Possible Suspect in Notorious Delphi Murders of Two Girls.