COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) on Thursday released an independent third-party review of its safety policies leading up to the on-campus shooting that left two people dead in February.
Samuel Knopp, a UCCS student, and Celie Montgomery, a visitor, were killed after a gunman opened fire in Knopp’s dorm room. Knopp’s roommate, Nicholas Jordan, has since been charged for their deaths.
UCCS hired attorney Jason Dunn with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP., and former Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers to conduct a review of the school’s response before and after the shooting. The group reviewed the school’s policies surrounding housing and safety and gave a list of recommendations to the school.
In the report released Thursday, the group issued 13 recommendations, including improved tracking of behavior reports, increased training for resident assistants (RAs) and expanding the university’s CARE Team.
Read the full report below:
According to the review, multiple reports were made to UCCS police about Jordan allegedly harassing female students.
According to one police report from Dec. 2023, Jordan allegedly approached women on the UCCS campus and asked if they would like to drink and have “relations” with him. The UCCS Police Department investigated the report and, after talking with both parties, decided no further follow-up was needed. In an interview with police, Jordan allegedly told investigators he was just trying to be friendly.
The review also details how Jordan and Knopp became roommates. According to the report, Knopp made multiple complaints about Jordan.
Knopp accused Jordan of smoking weed, cigarettes and cigars in the dorm room. Knopp also reported that a woman was living with Jordan in his room, which was a violation of dorm policy.
The document claims that UCCS custodial staff noted that Jordan’s room was becoming a “severe violation of health policies.” One staff member allegedly reported that the room had a strong smell of marijuana and the toilet was overflowing, soaking the living room and bedroom carpets.
According to the third-party review, despite reports from both Jordan and Knopp and requests for a change of residence, the two never followed through on the process of moving. Knopp and his other roommate reportedly agreed to move into another housing unit. The two were scheduled to move out on Feb. 16 — the day of the shooting.
