Denver Police are reporting a woman was critically injured in a shooting at 1536 Wynkoop Street. The suspected gunman is dead.
SEE ALSO: Witness video: Dozens of people were evacuated through the streets of Lower Downtown
Denver police spokesman Doug Schepman described a too familiar scenario: The victim and the gunman knew each other. The woman was targeted. The gunman shot himself after shooting her several times. Police are working to determine the nature of the relationship between them.
Schepman said the victim was taken the hospital and is in critical condition. The gunman was already dead when police arrived. Nonetheless, police cleared the Alliance Center office by office, floor by floor, just to be sure, a process that took about an hour.
The streets around 15th and Wynkoop streets were closed off with police tape and people on the street were evacuated, while people in other office buildings were told to stay put.
Schepman said Denver police will be working the scene for several hours.
The reports of a man with a gun and then of shots fired came in from the Alliance Center at 2:42 p.m.
Workers in nearby offices were told to shelter in place. At Chipotle's headquarters, for example, some employees locked themselves in a test kitchen.
Initial reports described more than one victim taken away by ambulance, but Schepman said the ambulances were used to transport witnesses for interviews because they were available.
Ali Bryson and Jordyn Peters work in an office above the Wazee Supper Club at 15th and Wazee Street.
Peters said she was walking past the Tattered Cover across from the Alliance Building when people came running out of the building, saying, "There's an active shooter! Run! Run!" So she ran.
Peters said she never imagined she would find herself so close to a situation like this.
After they got out of the immediate area, they saw an email to coworkers telling everyone to stay inside, but they were already outside.
The response of the emergency vehicles was "almost instant," Bryson said. "I'm grateful that I wasn't closer to the shooting."
Even as emergency vehicles swarmed the area, life continued as normal a few blocks away, though with somewhat heightened police presence.
This was the view from a nearby office.
Denver Health listed the woman still in critical condition Tuesday evening.
Andy Kenney contributed reporting to this story.
