CUSTER COUNTY, Colo. — Authorities in rural southern Colorado are in pursuit of a gunman responsible for the deaths of three people and the injury of another following a dispute over property lines, according to Sheriff Lloyd “Rich” Smith. The shooting occurred around 1 p.m. on Monday, when the assailant opened fire on a group of five individuals in a wooded area.

In the wake of the shooting, two men and a woman were tragically killed, while a fourth victim sustained gunshot wounds to the chest and is expected to survive. The perpetrator, identified as 45-year-old Hanme K. Clark, is the subject of a manhunt described as 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Sheriff Smith revealed that the suspect and at least one of the victims had previous disputes over property lines and easements, though the specifics were not provided. It remains unclear what the exact relationships were between the gunman and the victims.

This unsettling attack marks the 609th mass shooting in the U.S. this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The shooting took place in a remote part of Custer County, near the border with Fremont County, leading to a challenging search for the shooter.

Law enforcement personnel managed to rescue a survivor who had sustained gunshot wounds, airlifting the individual to a Level 1 trauma center in Colorado Springs. As authorities continue to search for the suspect and his vehicle, a shelter-in-place order was issued and subsequently lifted on Monday night.

Smith reassured the public that law enforcement has a promising lead on the suspect’s whereabouts and is collaborating with another agency to bring him into custody. The search for the gunman is ongoing as authorities work to bring closure to this tragic event.