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Authorities capture man accused of killing 3 in property dispute

Authorities in Colorado say they've captured a man accused of killing 3 people over a long-running property dispute.
Police on scene of a dark wooded area where a shooting occurred.
Posted at 2:05 PM, Nov 21, 2023

Authorities in Colorado say they've captured a man accused of killing three people over a yearslong property dispute in a rural part of the state.

A shooting occurred around 1 p.m. Monday in Custer County. Reports say it escalated from an argument between neighbors over property lines.

The gunman shot four people, killing three of them. The person who survived, an adult woman, is in critical condition at a trauma center, but is expected to survive, according to the Custer County Sheriff's Office.

A fifth person managed to escape and served as a witness to police, Custer County Sheriff Lloyd "Rich" Smith said in a news conference Monday night.

Police identified Hanme K. Clark as the suspect when they began a manhunt on Monday.

"We knew immediately who the suspect was going to be," the sheriff said, according to CNN

"The suspect and at least one of the victims have been in previous civil disputes about property lines and easements," he said. 

Custer County Sheriff's Office

Police had originally called for a shelter-in-place order, putting residents on lockdown for about eight hours. 

When officers arrived on the scene of the shooting, the sheriff said they "didn't know where the shooter was. The shooting happened in a wooded area, and so we entered kind of at a high risk." 

A SWAT team, drone and other resources were used to search the area. 

An investigation remains ongoing.