Crime in Colorado Crime in Colorado This article describes crime in the U.S. state of Colorado. In 2011, there were 151,125 crimes reported in Colorado. In 2008, there were 158,236 crimes reported in Colorado, including 156 murders, 141,107 property crimes, and 2,094 rapes. Capital punishment is applied in this state. Two of the country's largest mass shootings have occurred in Colorado: The Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and the Aurora movie theater massacre in 2012. Both of these shootings resulted in national and international outrage and mourning. Other notable mass shootings in Colorado include the Colorado YWAM and New Life shootings in
Columbine High School massacre school shootings in the US in the following eight years and found that in eight of those, "the shooters made explicit reference to Harris and Klebold." Larkin wrote "Numerous post-Columbine rampage shooters referred directly to Columbine as their inspiration; others attempted to supersede the Columbine shootings in body count." In 2012, sociologist Nathalie E. Paton of the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris analyzed the videos created by post-Columbine school shooting perpetrators. A recurring set of motifs was found, including explicit statements of admiration and identification with previous perpetrators. Paton said the videos serve the perpetrators by distinguishing themselves