Police identified an 18-year-old woman but are withholding the name of a 16-year-old boy as detectives continue investigating.
LAKEWOOD, CO — Two teenagers were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside a Lakewood home Monday morning, and police are investigating the deaths as a suspected murder-suicide, authorities said.
Lakewood Police Department agents responded to a residence in the 1200 block of Benton Street at about 9:43 a.m. Aug. 24 after a 911 caller reported multiple people had been shot. Officers found an 18-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy inside the home. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police identified the 18-year-old as Yorbelis Del Valle Gutierrez-Arenas of Lakewood. Authorities said they would not publicly identify the 16-year-old because he was a juvenile. Investigators have not said which person they believe was responsible for the shooting or released details explaining why they suspect the deaths were a murder-suicide.
The Lakewood Police Department said the investigation remains active and ongoing. Detectives said they have no reason to believe a suspect is at large and do not believe there is an ongoing danger to the surrounding community.
Police also have not publicly described what investigators believe happened before the shooting or what relationship, if any, existed between the two teenagers. No suspected motive has been announced. Those details remain among the unanswered questions as detectives continue examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Gutierrez-Arenas was identified by Denver Public Schools officials as Yorbelis Gutiérrez-Arena and was a North High School student, according to local reporting. Her death marked the second reported shooting death involving a North High School student during the summer.
Seventeen-year-old Giovanni Ramos, another North High School student, was fatally shot July 18 after a fight broke out at a house party near East 45th Avenue and Sherman Street in Denver. Denver police said Ramos was not believed to have been involved in the fight. The two shootings have not been publicly linked by investigators.
Denver Public Schools said it was providing crisis response and recovery support for students and staff affected by the recent deaths. District officials said school mental health teams can assist students dealing with the loss of classmates and that additional resources can be sent when a tragedy affects a larger part of a school community.
Lakewood detectives have not announced additional findings about the Benton Street shooting. Police continue to classify the case as a suspected murder-suicide while the investigation remains open, and authorities have said there is no known continuing threat to the public.
Author note: Last updated August 27, 2026.