Suspect in Colorado Springs officer-involved shooting ID'd as man killed in Iowa shootout Tuesday

DNA evidence from a shooting on Sunday in Colorado Springs that left one woman severely injured has led investigators to identify the suspect as a 51-year-old Wisconsin man, who died two days later in a shootout with Iowa law enforcement. At about 12:25 p.m.

on Sunday , Colorado Springs police received a call about a disturbance involving a group of people in the 4900 block of North Academy Boulevard, between Union Boulevard and Flintridge Drive, near a closed Red Lobster location. The first officer who arrived at the scene heard gunshots, police said. Immediately after exiting the vehicle, the officer began taking fire “from the direction of the suspect,” police spokeswoman Caitlin Ford said.



The officer fired “at least one round” at the suspect before the man ran from the scene, Ford said. As the officer moved closer to the scene, she found a female suffering at least one gunshot wound, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital, where she remained in critical condition as of Thursday, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

Thursday's press release by the sheriff's office reports that DNA analysis done by the Metro Crime Lab on evidence collected at the scene, as well as video evidence, has led investigators to believe the shooting suspect was Vonderrick Rayford, 51. At approximately 1:34 a.m.

on Tuesday, more than 240 road miles from the scene of the Colorado Springs shooting, a deputy with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office of Iowa pulled over a Colorado vehicle for excessive speeding. According to the sheriff's office, the driver, later identified as Rayford, exited his vehicle and opened fire at the deputy. A standoff ensued, with additional law enforcement officers arriving on the scene and returning fire.

Rayford was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. The Dallas County Sheriff's Office reports that the vehicle Rayford was driving was reported stolen from Colorado. The firearm he was using was likewise found to be registered as stolen.

The investigations of the Colorado Springs officer-involved shooting and the attempted murder of the female victim remain active and ongoing by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office..