Mysterious 'Shots' In JeffCo Were Malfunctioning Generator

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO -- With schools on edge after the Parkland, Florida shootings, the popping that sounded like shots fired near a Safeway in Jefferson County Feb. 23 caused a massive law enforcement response and closed several JeffCo schools.

But it turned out to be a false alarm. An investigation showed the cause of the sounds to be "a malfunctioning generator located on the roof of the Safeway shopping center building in the 12000 block of W. Ken Caryl Avenue," the Jefferson County Sheriff's office said Friday in a press release.

After more reports of sounds of shots fired Friday morning, sheriff's investigators were able to pinpoint the source of the popping sounds. (You can hear them above in the video from the 23rd).

"Safeway has been very cooperative throughout our investigation and is currently taking steps to fix the problem," a statement from the sheriff's office said.

“We sincerely appreciate the partnership with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and apologize for the disruption and alarm this may have caused our neighbors. We are working with both our contractor and manufacturer of the generator to resolve this issue as quickly as possible,” said Kris Staaf, Safeway's director of public affairs.

Image via Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Law enforcement vehicles at Safeway on Feb. 23.