Man Shoots Up Colorado Supreme Court Building — but Not for the Reason You Think, Police Say

Days after threats were made against members of the Colorado Supreme Court, an armed man broke into the state judicial center, held a security guard at gunpoint and fired multiple shots inside and at the building.

But police say the incident is not related to the threats directed at the justices after their December 19 ruling that former president Donald Trump is ineligible for the state's presidential primary ballot because of his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

At around 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 44-year-old Brandon Olsen reportedly got into a car crash at Lincoln Street and 13th Avenue and pointed a handgun at another driver outside of the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, which houses the Colorado Supreme Court. The other driver called 911. Meanwhile, Olsen shot out one of the judicial center's windows on Lincoln Street and pushed in the glass to enter the building, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

Once inside, Olsen allegedly held an unarmed security guard at gunpoint and took the guard's keys, after unsuccessfully trying to kick in a door to a maintenance room, police say.

Olsen subsequently fired multiple gunshots on the seventh floor of the building and started a fire in a stairwell, police say. The Supreme Court chambers are on the fourth floor and the Court of Appeals is on the ground floor, according to the judicial center's website. Police say Olsen went into "an unknown number of floors" before reaching the seventh, which houses the Colorado Attorney General's offices.

The Denver Police Department and Colorado State Patrol surrounded the building and, at around 3 a.m., Olsen called 911 and voluntarily surrendered.
This incident came on the heels of threats made against Colorado Supreme Court justices after their ruling in the Trump case. According to the police and the FBI, authorities are investigating the threats, and the DPD has provided extra patrols around the justices' homes.

However, the Colorado State Patrol says there's a "high probability" that the January 2 incident is not related to the threats. "The CSP and DPD are treating this incident seriously, but at this time, it is believed that this is not associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court justices," says a state patrol spokesperson.

Law enforcement hasn't released any information about the suspect's motivation for the crime, and the investigation is ongoing.

Police say no one was injured during the incident, but there is "significant and extensive damage" to the building — located just a block from the Westword office — including water damage from the emergency sprinkler system that was triggered by the fire. The judicial center remained closed on January 2.

At least one employee was in the building at the time of the incident, in addition to the lone security guard, according to Olsen's arrest affidavit. The employee left because of the fire alarm and did not encounter the gunman. The security guard ran away and called 911 after the suspect took the keys.

Olsen has been arrested several times in Colorado, the Denver Post reports, including for misdemeanor theft in 2014, drug charges in 2013 and 2011, and felony vehicular eluding in 2011. His ex-wife told the Post that he had driven up from Colorado and said he wanted to see his children; before that call, she had not talked to him in years.

"It's not some weird political [thing]," she told the Post. "That has nothing to do with anything."

Olsen is being held in the Denver jail for investigation of robbery, burglary and arson. The Denver District Attorney’s Office will determine the final charges.

He has a date in court today, January 3.

This story has been updated to include information on Olsen's background and court date.