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The Rocky Mountain Collegian
The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian
The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian
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Update: Suspect in Oct. 12 shooting confirmed to be CSU student, judge sets bond at $15K

Willow Engle, Executive Editor
October 16, 2026
Collegian | Cait Mckinzie
Fort Collins Police Services officers prepare to expand the barrier tape around the Colorado State University Microbiology and Chemistry Buildings after an officer-involved shooting Oct. 12.

Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing breaking news story. Updates will be provided as they become available. This story was last updated at 7:50 p.m. Oct. 19 to reflect new information pertaining to the suspect’s bond.

The name, criminal charges and medical condition of the suspect of the Oct. 12 officer-involved shooting on Colorado State University’s campus have been released.

Colorado’s Eighth Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team confirmed Oct. 16 through a Fort Collins Police Services press release that the suspect is Brooks Bottenhorn, a CSU junior. The release alleged Bottenhorn fired a handgun then made an advance toward a CSU Police Department sergeant, who had responded to a report of a person acting erratically.

“Bottenhorn fired a round into that building and then advanced towards the sergeant while still armed with the handgun,” the press release reads. “The sergeant fired multiple rounds, striking the suspect.”

Bottenhorn is still receiving treatment at a local hospital and is expected to survive. He has been charged by the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office with three felonies and three misdemeanors: criminal mischief, felony menacing, illegal discharge of a firearm, unlawful carrying a weapon, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

“(These) charges are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” the press release reads. “As the investigation is still ongoing, we are unable to release any additional information at this time.”

Denver-based TV station 9News reported at 6:22 p.m. Oct. 19 that Bottenhorn appeared remotely at the Larimer County Justice Center and his bond was set at $15,000 by a judge. According to 9News, Bottenhorn’s attorney said he is seeking mental health treatment. As condition of his bond, he must stay away from CSU’s campus.

9News reported Bottenhorn bonded out of jail Monday and is scheduled to return for his next court appearance Oct. 27.

Reach Willow Engle at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.

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About the Contributors
Willow Engle
Willow Engle, Executive Editor
Willow Engle is The Rocky Mountain Collegian’s 2026-27 Executive Editor, and she is tremendously excited to spend her final year at Colorado State University working with her peers to put together a product worthy of the wonderful people who read it. Engle began her journey with The Collegian before ever taking a class at CSU, and she has never lived a day on campus in which she is not proud to be a part of such a wonderful ecosystem of passionate journalists, photographers, editors and more. Alongside Rachel Johnson-Bothe, her brilliant copy chief, Engle runs The Collegian‘s copy desk, which prides itself in its commitment to fact-checking, grammatical accuracy and writing proficiency. Engle is in her fourth year at CSU and will be graduating with a degree in English with an art history minor. Nature and poetry were Engle’s first two true loves in life, and she’s grateful to have been able to come to a university in which she can study and write ecopoetry with an attention to detail that such a beautiful genre deserves. Engle’s work has been featured in the 2025 and 2026 versions of Greyrock Review, and she has forthcoming work in Pine Hills Review. She was the 2026 first-place winner of CSU’s Undergraduate Creative & Performing Arts Scholarship award in poetry and is planning on pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in poetry and becoming a professor. Engle would not be in the position that she is without the wisdom, intelligence and kindness of her predecessor, the inimitable Claire Vogl. As she prepares to lead the paper alongside Editor-in-Chief Sophie Webb and Managing Editor Cait Mckinzie, she is filled with excitement to use the skills she’s learned over the past four years to spend as much time possible every week making a product she’s proud of. All remaining time will be spent wandering around taking photos of plants.
Cait Mckinzie
Cait Mckinzie, Managing Editor
Cait Mckinzie is a fourth-year double major in art and journalism and media communication. She is the managing editor for the 2026-27 school year. The Collegian has been an integral part of Mckinzie’s experience at Colorado State University. She came in as a lost out-of-state student from Renton, Washington and found her footing in the Lory Student Center’s basement. In her first year, she found mentors and friends as a freelance photographer for photo directors Milo Gladstein and Garrett Mogel. In her second and third years, she took on the role of photo director, a position that taught her the inner workings of The Collegian. Now in her last year at CSU, she will be using that knowledge to help run the paper she hasn’t spent a day without since fall 2023. Both of the previous managing editors Mckinzie has had the pleasure of working under taught her through example how to handle the load of work ahead of her. Ivy Secrest and Hannah Parcells, each award-winning journalists as writers for The Collegian, worked relentlessly to keep the paper to the high standards expected of a reputable, 135-year-old source of local news. Both were confident and strong leaders that left their mark on campus with their skills at getting even the most menial of tasks done in the name of keeping the paper running. Mckinzie is honored to take on the role of managing editor at The Collegian and is looking forward to working alongside Editor in Chief Sophie Webb and Executive Editor Willow Engle to make the paper the best it can be.