A person was fatally shot inside the home at 812 Balsam St. in Cortez on Tuesday afternoon, just more than a month after an armed man in the residence was arrested on suspicion of assault and other charges.
Shortly before 3 p.m., dispatch received a call that someone had suffered a gunshot wound in the chest at the residence. Montezuma County Coroner George Deavers told The Journal that the gunshot victim had died.
Police, emergency and coroner personnel would not release the identity of the victim or talk about how the shooting occurred.
The Balsam Street residence was the scene of police action on Feb. 4, when the Cortez Police Department blocked off streets after sending an emergency alert stating that an armed man posed a “significant threat” to people in the area. “Armed gunman in the area,” the alert said. “Please shelter in place. Stay in your house or away from the area.”
The next morning, 45-year-old Charles Head was arrested on suspicion of felony menacing, domestic violence and harassment. He was charged in Montezuma County Combined Courts for allegedly threatening and assaulting his wife, Cynthia Head, as well as possessing firearms while intoxicated.
During a county court appearance on Monday, Feb. 5, Head’s wife urged that the court grant a personal recognizance bond. She stated that she was not afraid of her husband but that he needed counseling. Head had no previous record.
As a condition of bond, Montezuma County court Judge JenniLynn Lawrence required that Head turn over all guns and weapons to authorities before he could return home.
Journal reporter Stephanie Alderton contributed to this article.
