Larry O'Rourke suspected of killing Karen Kulikowski in Lakewood murder-suicide (73)

Late on Saturday, the Lakewood Police Department received an emergency call from a woman at 868 S. Reed Court. She said her husband had a gun -- and unfortunately, he appears to have used it. When cops arrived, they heard a shot. They immediately called SWAT and evacuated the building...

By Michael Roberts

May 2, 2011

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Late on Saturday, the Lakewood Police Department received an emergency call from a woman at 868 S. Reed Court. She said her husband had a gun -- and unfortunately, he appears to have used it.

When cops arrived, they heard a shot. They immediately called SWAT and evacuated the building via reverse-911. But Karen Kulikowski and Larry O'Rourke were apparently already dead.

Their bodies were found inside their apartment unit shortly thereafter. O'Rourke was 63. Kulikowski was fifty. The supposition based on these basic facts: murder-suicide.

Look below to see the area near the scene; if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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