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Sheriff Calls Mysterious Northern Colorado Shootings 'Extremely Frustrating'

WINDSOR, Colo. (CBS4) - Now investigating two mysterious incidents, Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith told CBS4 it's extremely rare to have two apparently random shootings along roadways anywhere in Colorado, let alone in some of the safest communities in Northern Colorado.

John Jacoby
John Jacoby (credit: CBS)

A driver found the body of 48-year-old John Jacoby along a road in Windsor Monday. He was shot twice. The shooting came just weeks after a woman was shot in the neck while driving near Fort Collins.

Smith told CBS4's Lauren DiSpirito that he's empathetic of the fear that's set in among the community following Jacoby's murder -- as he was riding his bike just like he did any other day.

"It's extremely frustrating for us to get a pure 'who dun it?' And I guess that's what I'd clearly say -- this is a 'who dun it?' for everybody," Smith said.

Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith (credit: CBS)

Days after the shooting death of Jacoby, a beloved Windsor resident, local law enforcement is pooling their resources in hopes of solving both shootings.

Last month someone shot Cori Romero, 20, in the neck while she was driving near Interstate 25 near Fort Collins. She was seriously injured.

Cori Romero
Cori Romero (credit: CBS)

In both cases, police and deputies have no leads.

"Every indication so far is they appear to be random, that the victim that was shot was randomly selected," Smith said. "So certainly that's highly unusual and it would lead anybody in this field to say, 'Okay, these are close enough, let's look at them that way.' "

Windsor Homicide (1)
The shooting scene in Windsor (credit: CBS)

On Tuesday Larimer County deputies spent the day meeting with Windsor police and federal investigators to share information to determine whether a link exists between both shootings. Investigators will compare ballistics evidence to find if there are similarities between the firearms used.

The shootings happened about five miles apart, but at opposite times of day.

The FBI can help by providing analysts to compare findings.

RELATED: Race In Windsor Canceled Amid Anxiety Over Colorado Roadway Shootings

There has also been a series of reports of people having their windows mysteriously shattered while driving in Northern Colorado. With the exception of Romero's case, investigators found no evidence of gunshots in those cases.

Smith also shared his opinion with CBS4 saying the community needs to always be vigilant, but if people change their behavior based on the recent incidents, the person or people behind the crimes win.

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