Police cruisers responded to a shooting near 7th and Marine streets on Oct. 31, 2026. (Photo by Juliana Krigsman)
18-year-old Thornton man charged in Halloween shooting in which one CU student died, another wounded
An 18-year-old man from Thornton has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Halloween shooting in the University Hill neighborhood that left one CU Boulder student dead and another critically wounded.
Omar Perez faces charges of first-degree murder, first-degree assault and first-degree attempted murder, the Boulder Police Department announced Monday. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Department booked website shows Perez was processed at 9:39 a.m. Monday, and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
Police said he is not a CU student, and his photo is not being released. Officials also said they don’t believe there are other possible shooters.
The wounded CU student is still hospitalized, Boulder police said Monday. The families of the students, both 19-year-olds, have requested privacy. The victims have not been publicly identified.
All three charges were filed as “extreme indifference,” indicating that the suspect allegedly acted with a clear disregard for endangerment of human life.
Boulder police said officers had been to the home near 7th and Marine streets Saturday evening due to a noise complaint, and shut down a large party.
After the party, a group allegedly including Perez tried to force their way into the house, officials said, then shots were fired. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots from inside the house, and Boulder police said the first calls about the shooting came in at 11:28 p.m. Saturday.
Police are still looking for information regarding other members of the group who were seen on a doorbell camera around the time of the shooting.
Classes will continue as normal, CU Boulder Provost Ann Stevens said Monday, adding, “there is value in being together at a time like this, in finding strength in the relationships that connect us and the support we can offer one another.”
Stevens also said in the statement that “staying open does not mean expecting everyone to move through this moment in the same way.”
CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz called the shooting “an incredibly traumatic event for our campus community” in a statement on Sunday.
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said in Monday’s statement that detectives’ work and “good community tips” were key in finding the suspect. Officials also worked with Thornton and Westminster police departments and the Adams County Sheriff’s Department.
