DENVER, Colorado – A man was arrested early Tuesday after breaking into the Colorado Supreme Court overnight and opening fire inside the building, state police said in a news release. The preliminary investigation confirmed that the incident is not connected to recent threats against the Colorado Supreme Court Justices, according to the Colorado State Patrol. This break-in occurred two weeks after the court ruled to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot, finding he was ineligible to hold office under the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.”

The FBI previously stated that it was working with Colorado law enforcement to investigate reports of violent threats against the Colorado Supreme Court justices following their ruling to remove Trump from the presidential ballot. The incident began unfolding around 1:15 a.m. and ended nearly two hours later when the intruder surrendered to police, the news release stated. While no injuries were reported, there was significant and extensive damage to the building.

Prior to the break-in, there was a two-vehicle crash near the Colorado Judicial Center, which houses the state supreme court. A person involved in the crash reportedly pointed a handgun at the other driver, shot out a window on the east side of the judicial center, and then entered the building. The individual encountered an unarmed security guard, held the guard at gunpoint, and took the guard’s keys before going to other parts of the building, including the seventh floor, where he fired more shots, the release said.

The suspect called 911 at 3 a.m. and surrendered to police, but the release did not specify the nature of the charges on which the suspect is being held. The incident was not believed to be related to previous threats, but the names of the four state justices who ruled to disqualify Trump from the 2024 ballot have appeared in “incendiary” posts on extremist online forums, according to an analysis of the online chatter prepared by a non-partisan research organization for US law enforcement agencies. The analysis found no specific threats to the judges, but it warned of a potential risk of violence or other illegal activities in response to the ruling.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.