A 17-year-old is being sought in the killing of a Fort Carson soldier and his wife during a burglary, Colorado Springs police said late Wednesday.
Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Macyo Joelle January on suspicion of first-degree murder. Police said January should be considered armed and dangerous.
He is suspected in the deaths of Staff Sgt. David Dunlap and his wife, Whitney Butler, who were gunned down Monday when they returned home and encountered a burglar, police said.
The Fort Carson soldier was a helicopter mechanic for the post’s new combat aviation brigade, and had arrived in Colorado Springs just two months ago, the post said Wednesday.
Butler had worked for Enterprise Rent-a-Car since 2009, said a Christy Cavallini, a company spokeswoman. After postings in Virgina Beach and Norfolk, Va. Butler transferred to the company's Colorado Springs insurance operations division two months ago, Cavallini said.
Dunlap's brigade is scheduled to get its first helicopters later this week, said spokesman Maj. Andrew Ruiz.
"It’s an extreme tragedy that’s going on out here,” Ruiz said. "We’re extending our condolences out to the family. I guess everybody's just trying to get through it right now.”
Only about 850 of the brigade's planned 2,700 soldiers have arrived at the post, Ruiz said. Construction crews broke ground on the unit's first buildings in June. Most of the multi-million dollar contracts needed to build brigade facilities have yet to be awarded.
Dunlap, 37, was a mechanic for the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter.
He deployed once to Iraq, from June 6, 2007 through Aug. 6, 2008.
Dunlap and his new wife, Whitney Butler, 35, moved into their home at 222 Bassett Drive in October. They returned home Monday and encountered a burglar, who fatally shot both of them and escaped, police said. The couple was expecting their first child, a friend said.
Dunlap arrived at Fort Carson with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, on Nov. 16.
He won several awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal.
“The Fort Carson community mourns the tragic loss of Staff Sgt. David C. Dunlap and his wife Whitney Dunlap,” the post said in a news release.
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