'Purge'-masked suspect accused of killing college student at Halloween bash — before his sister helps nab him

Colorado police have identified all individuals sought in security footage released after a Halloween party shooting that killed a University of Colorado Boulder student, as prosecutors consider additional charges against the primary suspect. On Thursday, Boulder Police Public Information Officer Dionne Waugh confirmed that "everyone in the photos and video we released" has now been identified.

The primary suspect, Omar Perez, 18, faces murder and related charges in the death of Luca Hanlon, 19, following a deadly confrontation at an off-campus Oct. 31 party in Boulder's University Hill neighborhood. After Perez's arrest, detectives asked for the public's help in identifying three other people seen in video and photos from that night, including two males and a female witness.

"The investigation is ongoing. When and if there are additional arrests or charges, I will send out a news release," Waugh said. Shannon Carbone, the public information officer for the Boulder County District Attorney's Office, told prosecutors "successfully argued in court Tuesday to have Perez held without bond." Perez's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2027.

The shooting incident

According to a Boulder police arrest affidavit, police first responded to a home off Marine Street around 9:58 p.m. on Halloween after receiving a noise complaint. Responding officers issued a nuisance-party citation, and hundreds of people left the gathering. Around 90 minutes later, officers returned after a call concerning gunshots fired.

Witnesses told authorities that Perez had been in the group that left but returned to the residence with six others. When asked to leave, Perez and his group allegedly became irate, leading to a scuffle. A witness said Perez appeared to be wearing a SWAT uniform and a "Purge" mask. A resident put Perez in a headlock, prompting him to allegedly pull out a gun and open fire.

Oh, I could shoot this place up.

Perez shot Hanlon in the neck and another 19-year-old student in the leg. Hanlon died the following day at Boulder Community Health. "I do not have any other updates on the second victim because of privacy," Waugh said.

Sister helps identify suspect

Perez's sister saw photos released by Boulder police and contacted them after recognizing her brother's clothes. She then checked the family's "Life360" app, which tracked Perez arriving at the residence around the time of the shooting and mapped his path afterward. Over several hours, Perez allegedly traveled through Westminster, Arvada, Keenesburg, and back to Thornton before his arrest.

"The defendant was arrested in Thornton. He is not a CU student and, contrary to some rumors, was not arrested on campus," Carbone told Fox News Digital. His sister told investigators that days before the shooting, Perez illegally purchased a 10mm Glock "on the street" and posted photos of the weapon on Instagram. She said he had replaced a revolver he "threw in some bushes" after accidentally shooting himself in the calf on Sept. 26.

When Perez picked his sister up from work, she noticed a "black purge looking mask" on the floorboard and told police three people were in the vehicle with Perez. Perez allegedly told his sister they had been beaten up earlier at a party they attended, "by four guys and his friends." In addition to murder with extreme indifference, Perez faces first-degree assault and attempted first-degree murder charges, both with extreme indifference.

Victim remembered

CU Boulder identified Hanlon, of Pennsylvania, as a second-year media production student in its College of Communication, Media, Design and Information. His friend Jack Anderson described him as "my best friend" and "who I aspired to be in life." "He was always there. If I needed a shoulder to cry, he was there, to celebrate the biggest wins in life. He was just like an all-around, stand-up, great, just model citizen," Anderson told Denver's ABC 7.

"For first degree murder, the only sentence allowed under law is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Additional charges will likely be filed," Carbone said. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Boulder police at 303-441-3333 or submit tips online at the police department's Evidence Submission Portal.