On the morning of April 10, 1997, a sense of routine filled the Colorado National Bank at 3454 72nd Avenue in Westminster. That normalcy was shattered shortly after 10 a.m. when a lone gunman burst into the lobby, firing a shot into the ceiling to announce a robbery. As panic ensued, the man approached a teller, demanding money. John Lee, a 28-year-old male bank employee, was among those inside.
Reacting to the chaos, several employees and customers, including Lee, attempted to flee the violent scene through an exit on the opposite side of the bank from where the robbery was taking place. The gunman, without hesitation, fired at least twice into the group of escaping people. A bullet struck John Lee, tragically ending his life. Another customer was also hit but survived their injuries.
The assailant, described as a Black male in his early 20s, standing between 5'6' and 5'10' and weighing 150-165 pounds, quickly fled the bank through an east exit. He was wearing a hooded gray sweatshirt under a dark, hooded sports team-type coat, dark baggy pants, a dark ski mask, and gloves. No vehicle was seen, and the suspect disappeared, leaving a community in shock and a family to grieve. At the time of his murder, Lee was single, lived with his parents, and was also a student at Regis University. The case remains an unsolved homicide, with no arrests having been made.
