Authorities have identified a man who was shot and killed early Wednesday, an incident that prompted the closure of U.S. Highway 550 near the Colorado-New Mexico line as law enforcement searched for the suspected shooter.
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Chris Burke said previously a deputy was contacted by a male and a female during the early morning hours Wednesday on the side of the southbound lane of Highway 550.
The male had suffered a gunshot wound, Burke said. Despite the efforts of the deputy and the medical units, he died from his injuries.
La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith identified the man as 30-year-old Johnathan Nichols of Durango. She said next of kin has been notified.
An autopsy was performed Thursday morning, Smith said, which confirmed Nichols died as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest. The time of death is listed around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, she said.
Burke did not return a call seeking updated information Thursday. He said previously a person of interest had been detained, but he declined to release further details.
Nichols had worked at 4 Corners Roofing and Sheet Metal since 2012, said Darren Tripp, manager of the company. Tripp said Nichols had just turned 30 years old.
“He was a really good kid,” Tripp said. “He was a good hand, a good worker.”
Tripp said Nichols was originally from Washington state and didn’t have family in the Durango area.
“He was very much a loner,” Tripp said. “He had a couple of dogs he loved that went everywhere with him. … We were his family, basically. We all took care of each other.”
Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes said the road was closed around 1 a.m. as authorities responded to the scene between mile markers 1 and 3.
By about 2:30 a.m., the highway had reopened, she said.
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