Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.Photo: Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty
The married couple and former congregation members were identified as Melissa Susanna Martinez, 44, and Enoch Noah Apodaca, 46, according to press releases from theOffice of the Coroner of Adams and Broomfield Countiesand theThornton Police Department.
Officers responded to a call of a structure fire and a shooting around 9 a.m. on Dec. 25 at the Kingdom Hall in Thornton, police said. The first meeting of the day was not scheduled to begin until 9:30 a.m.
No other injuries were reported, authorities said. A search of the pair’s Westminster home did not uncover any additional devices, but did find items used to create explosives similar to the ones found at the Kingdom Hall, police said.
Investigators say Apodaca was also involved in a large explosion that happened around 8:45 a.m. at a different building, which was closed at the time, police said.
Apodaca apparently entered the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 68 with what appeared to be a large bucket and later exited the building and got back into his vehicle. The explosion occurred shortly after he left, police said, and there were no injuries.
It was not immediately clear if that protection order was granted.
During the investigation, police learned that Apodaca also had a rocky relationship with the congregation, saying in a press release that he and his wife were previous members of the hall and were no longer welcomed.
The night before the incident Apodaca apparently reached out to a member expressing interest in returning to the congregation, but he was directed to speak with the elder members, the release states.
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“Both the incident in unincorporated Adams County and the incident at the Kingdom Hall appear to be as a result of personal issues Enoch had with his employer, and the couples' own issues with Kingdom Hall,” police said in the release.
The Sherrelwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses commented on the tragedy in a statement toDenver7.
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source: people.com
