Three Dead in Colorado Shooting

ByABC News
July 4, 2001, 5:31 PM

July 4 -- Three people are dead and four injured following a shooting in a small Colorado town late last night that police say may have been race related.

Police arrested 42-year-old Mick Stagner for the shooting deaths of three people at a Rifle, Colo. RV park and grocery store. Rifle, which has about 5,000 inhabitants, is about 200 miles west of Denver.

All of the shooting victims are believed to be Latino, according to officials. Stagner is white. Police are investigating whether the shootings race was a factor in what otherwise seemed to be a random act of violence.

Daryl Meisner, the Rifle police chief said the gunman appeared to be alone in the shooting, which occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m. local time. He said in a statement the incident began when a man was reported to be waving a gun in a supermarket parking lot.

The names of the victims have not been released.