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Two teens found dead in suspected murder-suicide in Lakewood

An 18-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy died Monday after a suspected murder-suicide shooting in a Lakewood home.

The 18-year-old, who was identified by the Lakewood Police Department as Yorbelis Del Valle Gutierrez-Arenas and by Denver Public Schools officials as Yorbelis Gutiérrez-Arena, was the second North High School student to die from a shooting this summer.

Lakewood police did not release the identity of the 16-year-old boy because of his age.

Police responded around 9:43 a.m. Monday to a 911 call reporting people having been shot at a home in the 1200 block of Benton Street. They pronounced the teens dead at the scene, police said.

The case remained active and ongoing as of Tuesday, and Lakewood police do not believe there is a suspect at large or ongoing danger to the community.

Seventeen-year-old Giovanni Ramos was the first North High School student to lose his life to gunfire this summer.

Ramos was shot July 18 when a fight broke out at a house party near East 45th Avenue and Sherman Street, according to the Denver Police Department.

Denver police do not believe Ramos was involved in the fight. No arrests had been made in that case as of Monday.

Denver Public Schools is providing crisis response and recovery support for students and staff in the wake of the deaths, the district told 9NEWS.

“Anytime a student or staff member is dealing with a tragedy including the loss of a classmate, staff member or family member, their school, as well as DPS, are able to come alongside that student to provide whatever support is needed,” Denver Public Schools spokesperson Scott Pribble told The Denver Gazette in a Wednesday email. “Our schools are staffed with mental health team members and, should the tragic event impact a large number of people, the district is able to send additional resources to support the school.”

In a GoFundMe created Monday by a loved one of Gutiérrez-Arena, the 18-year-old was described as a “beloved daughter, a cherished friend and a young woman whose life touched many people.”

The Denver Gazette’s news partners 9NEWS contributed to this story.



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