A Gillette man bought a handgun and a box of ammunition at a sporting goods store there, then drove 11 hours and hundreds of miles across Colorado and, less than 24 hours later, allegedly opened fire on strangers in the Western Slope city of Montrose before taking his own life, the Montrose Police Department reports.
Authorities have identified the man as Eduardo Garcia Barrera, 42, a part-time resident of Gillette, and say they have no motive for why he opened fire on random motorists and a pedestrian, or why he did so in Montrose.
In an incident that unfolded over roughly 35 minutes Saturday morning, Montrose police say Barrera fired at moving vehicles as he entered the western Colorado city.
He then shot a 22-year-old pedestrian before crashing his vehicle at a local burger joint and dying from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Montrose police report.
According to the Montrose Police Department, officers were first dispatched around 10:16 a.m. after reports that a man driving a green Honda sedan with Wyoming license plates was shooting at vehicles while driving westbound on U.S. Highway 50 into Montrose.
Police say Barrera was driving erratically and approached vehicles from behind before firing shots.
The occupants of the first vehicle reported to police that they were not hit, and investigators found no damage to their vehicle.
‘Risk To Public Safety Was High'
Over the next several minutes, dispatchers received numerous reports of the Honda weaving through traffic and passing vehicles as it traveled along East Main Street.
At about 10:21 a.m., police say Barrera pulled alongside a 22-year-old man walking in the 200 block of North San Juan Avenue and fired through the passenger-side window of his car, hitting the pedestrian in the lower left side of his body.
He then crashed into a restaurant called Crash Burger, where Barrera was found with a gunshot wound.
Cowboy State Daily reached out to the restaurant manager Tuesday morning, but they said none of the employees saw the shooting take place.
The pedestrian was taken to a hospital and was reported to be in stable condition, police wrote.
Having a motorist driving around town shooting at people apparently at random was a very dangerous situation, Montrose Police Chief Blaine Hall told the Montrose Daily Press.
“The risk to public safety was high from multiple incidents, including the first report, where it was reported there was shooting at vehicles on our highway,” Hall told the Daily Press. “We’re fortunate the suspect hit the (decorative) gas pump instead of going through the building. We could have had potentially more injuries, even fatalities.”
The chief also called out the actions of bystanders who provided medical help to the shot pedestrian until emergency responders could arrive.
Gun Bought The Day Before
Cowboy State Daily spoke with Montrose Police Department spokesman Paul Eller on Monday. Eller confirmed Barrera was a "part-time" resident of Gillette and said the case remains under active investigation.
Eller said investigators have not found evidence that any vehicles were struck by gunfire. He also declined to say whether anyone other than the wounded pedestrian may have been struck during the incident.
He would not discuss whether investigators have identified any significant events in Barrera's life leading up to the shootings.
Investigators say Barrera bought a 9 mm handgun and a box of ammunition at a sporting goods store in Gillette on May 29, one day before the shootings.
Eller also declined to identify the sporting goods store where the gun was bought.
According to police, Barrera left Gillette that evening and traveled south through Wyoming, then through Colorado Springs and Pueblo before continuing west on Highway 50 toward Montrose.
At about 10:34 a.m., officers were dispatched to a crash at 646 E. Main St., where they found Barrera's Honda resting against a raised concrete platform, a bollard and a decorative gas pump.
Police say Barrera was alone inside the vehicle and dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Montrose investigators said they have found no identifiable ties between Barrera and the city.
Searching For Answers
Police say they are continuing to interview victims and Barrera's family members in an effort to determine what prompted the shootings.
Cowboy State Daily found no criminal cases filed against Barrera in Wyoming's court system dating back to 2000.
Many details about Barrera's background and his reason for traveling to Montrose remain unclear, police say.
Authorities have not released any evidence suggesting the victims were targeted for a specific reason, and police have not announced a motive.
The investigation remains active, and officials say additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
