AWFUL: New horror comes days before James Holmes is due in court in the Century 16 massacre. (Reuters)
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The Colorado gunman who killed three relatives before police shot him to death during a six-hour standoff lost his own brother to gun violence only a year ago, authorities said.
It’s still unclear why Sonny Archuleta, 33, snapped Saturday morning and killed his wife’s father, her sister and her sister’s boyfriend in an Aurora townhouse.
But court records show that Archuleta’s brother, Patricio, 34, was shot to death in a Denver parking lot on Sept. 3, 2011.
Patricio, who had a criminal record of drug and assault charges, was released from prison in 2008 after serving 15 months for obstructing public peace and order and vehicular eluding.
Following that shooting, Sonny took to Twitter to express his grief: “My brother Pat was murdered in Denver, Colorado on Friday September 3 at 1:45am. Pray for my family and that Jehovah well get the glory from this.”
Yesterday’s tragedy occurred near the scene of July’s “Dark Knight Rises” mass murder, authorities said.
SWAT-team members shot the killer after he fired at them from a second-story window of the Aurora home after hours of tense negotiations, cops said.
Archuleta was pronounced dead in the upstairs bedroom.
Police were called after gunshots were heard at the home at about 3 a.m.
A witness who escaped uninjured by jumping from a second-story window told cops that the armed madman and three bodies were inside.
Stacie Philbrook and her stepfather, Anthony Ticali, were killed, along with Stacie’s boyfriend, Chris, said a relative.
“My daughter was murdered, my son-in-law was killed by the police because he’s sick,” said the shooter’s teary mother-in-law, Shannon. “He was still a human. We have no ill feelings towards him.”
Her other daughter, Stephanie — Archuleta’s wife — was “spared,” she said.
“From what the witness says, it’s our assumption that he did shoot and kill them prior to our arrival,” said Aurora Sgt. Cassidee Carlson. Cops tried for hours to coax him from the home via phone and a bullhorn, but he repeatedly hung up on negotiators.
“At different times, we could hear him yelling — [both by] our officers that were by the house and on the phone as well,” Carlson said.
Neighbors heard cops pleading with the gunman.
“Sonny, if you come out with your hands up, you won’t be hurt and we’ll get you the help you need,” neighbor Shaunna Bustios said she heard cops say. “We have your wife, Stephanie, here.”
Stephanie was too distraught to speak last night at her mother’s house.
Another neighbor said she also heard cops trying to coax Archuleta.
“We know you’ve been up for four days. Everything is confusing right now. Let us help you,” said Jennifer Williams, 40, quoting cops, adding that they pleaded for the freedom of the hostages.
Cops are investigating whether the man was under the influence of drugs.
The gunman fired on SWAT members after they broke out a window in the house just before 8 a.m.
Cops then fired tear gas in the house to force him out.
“I saw the smoke barreling out from the tear gas of the bedroom window, and I could see two holes in the window from where they shot the canisters through,” said Melissa Wright, 31 — a nurse who treated some of the movie-massacre victims in July.
But the gunman was not affected. “That he was able to remain in there might allude to his mind-set,” Carlson said.
Wright was shocked by what happened next.
“I could see the window shade, and all of a sudden the gun broke through the window and then he leaned out of the window and started shooting down toward the police,” she said.
“I’m a nurse so I’m supposed to stay cool . . . I didn’t know what was going on. I had the SWAT team in my front yard. I loaded my gun and got my daughter downstairs on the floor, and I waited.”
The shooting comes ahead of an emotional week of testimony starting tomorrow to determine if James Holmes will stand trial for killing 12 and wounding another 70 at the Century 16 movie theater.
“It’s just too much. Why do these crazy things keep happening?” said Williams.
Holmes is charged with 166 counts, including murder and attempted murder.
The movie theater is expected to reopen Jan. 17.
Additional reporting by Leonard Greene