THORNTON - Police are investigating a fatal shooting inside a Thornton home that left a child dead and a man in critical condition.
At 12:12 a.m., police were called to the 9200 block of High Street on reports of a possible shooting involving two people.
Responding officers discovered a man and a child both suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home. Both were transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
The boy was pronounced dead at the hospital. The man remains in critical condition.
People who know the family tell 9NEWS the boy was 4 years old.
Police have not identified the father and the coroner will officially identify the boy, but several sources confirmed to 9NEWS that Kevin Bristol is the man at Denver Health, and his son was identified as Michael.
The family released a statement on Tuesday evening: "Kevin is a wonderful father who loves his family deeply. This is an impossibly difficult time for our family and we ask for people to respect our privacy. We are devastated by these tragic events and greatly appreciate the prayers for our family."
According to Thornton Police, Bristol's wife originally found them and called 911.
"Something woke her up, not sure what that was. She checked on her husband and child and they were suffering from gunshot wounds," Officer Matt Barnes with Thornton Police said.
Barnes says she found Bristol and the child in a back bedroom together. There were no other children in the home.
"This is a homicide investigation. Until we determine actually what took place, we'll treat it as a homicide and see where that investigation leads us," Barnes said. "We don't believe that the public's in danger. We believe this is an isolated incident. We're not particularly searching for suspects at this time."
Barnes says investigators found weapons inside the home, but he did not know how many or if they are registered.
9NEWS has learned that Bristol worked for Thornton Home Repair for six or seven years. His employer said he was a good employee.
Bristol is in his early 30s.
"They kind of kept to themselves. They were a younger couple," David Arguello, a neighbor, said. "He was a nice guy. I'd be out here shoveling snow and he'd come out and help me out, didn't have to ask him."
An autopsy will be completed by the Adams County Coroner's Office to determine the child's cause of death.
"Kind of a shock. It's not right," Arguello said.
"He was always up and down the street with his dad. The dad had a motorcycle, so he'd go up and down the street. He seemed like a very good father, very good father - did things with his son," Carmen Garcia, another neighbor said.
Police say they were called to the home several times in 2011 for unrelated issues. Barnes says the incidents were not related to disturbances or domestic violence.
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