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9-Year-Old Boy Calls 911, Escapes After Suspect Breaks Into Home

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4) - SWAT teams surrounded a home in Greenwood Village where an armed shoplifting suspect was hiding from police on Wednesday afternoon.

aurora gunman from copter2
Copter4 flew over the SWAT teams surrounding the barricaded suspect in Greenwood Village Wednesday afternoon (credit: CBS)

Greenwood Village police said the gunman broke into the home in the 4200 block of South Alton Way, a neighborhood near Interstate 225 and Yosemite at about 3 p.m. The suspect is believed to have a weapon.

According to police, just after 1:30 p.m. there was a shoplifting reported at a Walmart in Aurora and the suspect fled in a vehicle to a light rail station where he ditched the vehicle and was seen with a gun. Police attempted to chase the suspect but were unsuccessful in apprehending him.

SHOPLIFTER STANDOFF MAP
(credit: CBS)

The suspect somehow made his way to Greenwood Village where he entered a home with a 9-year-old boy inside. The boy managed to call 911, safely leave the home and was reunited with his mother.

"It was that awkward confrontation that you recognize someone is in your home that doesn't belong there," Greenwood Village Police Chief John Jackson said. "A serious of phone calls to 911 and the mother -- they advised him to leave, at which time he did, and he's perfectly fine … we're getting them the resources that they need."

Police said the suspect fired at officers through the home's garage door but nobody was hurt. Officers didn't fire back.

Police made contact with the suspect and have been communicating with him shortly after they arrived. They were concerned that there are other guns inside the home.

After 8 p.m. two police explosives were used to gain entry to home and robots went inside. Police saw movement on the second floor of the home, so they'd believe he is still alive inside.

The suspect has not fired his weapon again, but police are using caution as they try to approach him with technology. They have cut off his cellphone and are delivering another phone in hopes they can negotiate peacefully.

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