On December 3, 2022, 8-year-old Cameron Zipperer and 6-year-old Audrey Zipperer were shot and killed by their biological father, 36-year-old Adam Zipperer, at his Fort Collins, Colorado home in a murder-suicide. The father murdered the children in their beds with a firearm overnight while they were in his custody, then called 911 stating "you will find three deceased people in the house" before fatally shooting himself. Three guns were found positioned around the father's body. The father had left notes explaining his desire to kill himself and his belief that killing the children would save them from dealing with his suicide. The parents had a contentious high-conflict divorce and were in the midst of a custody modification case in which the father was expected to lose primary custody, as a court evaluator had recommended the mother be allowed to relocate out-of-state with the children. The father had a documented history of depression, suicidal ideation, and domestic violence against the mother. Two prior child welfare referrals in 2020 — involving suspicious child injuries and possible sexual abuse — had been screened out and never assessed.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The fatality report states that the mother "believed the father might have given the children marijuana gummies on December 1, 2022, as 'a test run.'" The younger child reported "feeling dizzy and sleepy" on December 2, and "[m]arijuana gummies were found in the trash" at the father's home. While not confirmed, this constitutes a mention of suspected child drug ingestion.
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The fatality report states the children "died [from]… gun shot [sic] wounds." The father also "was then found in his own room, deceased from 'a gunshot wound [to] the head…. with 3 guns positioned around him.'" The news article confirms both children "were shot to death."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states that "[The father] had shot and killed both [children] in the household overnight" and that the children "died [from]… gun shot [sic] wounds." Being shot constitutes inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The fatality report states that the father "had shot and killed both [children] in the household overnight and killed himself after calling law enforcement." The father left a letter "advising of his desire to kill himself and the need to kill the children in order to save them from 'dealing with [the father's] suicide.'" The news article headline explicitly refers to a "Murder-Suicide."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
The fatality report documents a prior referral on 4/8/2020 regarding "the younger child's vagina being red after parenting time with the father." The identified risk factors include "The potential sex abuse the children allegedly experienced" and that "The mother previously obtained a protection order against the father, for physical and sexual coercion."
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report consistently refers to the perpetrator as "the father" and states the children were "in the care of their father at the time of the fatal incident." The news article confirms all three deceased shared the last name Zipperer (Adam, Cameron, and Audrey Zipperer). He is clearly the biological father who shot and killed both children.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report documents two prior referrals: on 1/16/2020 regarding the older child being injured at the father's home with discrepant explanations, and on 4/8/2020 regarding the younger child's vagina being red after parenting time with the father along with domestic violence concerns. The report states: "Within the last three years, the family had prior involvement with Larimer County Department of Human Services consisting of two referrals."
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report extensively documents domestic violence. It states "The mother reported that the father had been abusive towards her during their relationship, which led to their divorce." The April 2020 referral noted "a history of domestic violence" and that "[the father] ha[d] been violent enough that he ha[d] put holes in the walls." The risk factors include "History of domestic violence/power and coercive control in the parents' relationship, perpetrated by the father" and "The mother previously obtained a protection order against the father, for physical and sexual coercion."
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states: "The father was reported to have depression, Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD), and a history of suicidal ideation." Additionally, "The father was actively seeking mental health therapy" and "he had gained useful coping strategies to help him manage his mental health struggles." The father's mental health is also listed as a risk factor: "The father's history of depression" and "The father's history of suicidal ideation."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report notes that "[m]arijuana gummies were found in the trash" at the father's home, and the mother believed the father may have given the children marijuana gummies as "a test run." This references the father's possession and suspected use of marijuana.
Notable Details
The fatality report identifies several significant systemic issues. First, the CFRT found zero systemic strengths in the delivery of services: "The CFRT did not identify any systemic strengths during the review of this incident." Second, two prior referrals (January and April 2020) involving concerning allegations — including discrepant injury explanations, possible sexual abuse, domestic violence, and the father's suicidal ideation around the children — were both screened out and not accepted for assessment. Third, even the initial referral about the children's deaths on 12/5/2022 was not accepted for assessment (reason: "No current A/N allegation"), and was not assigned for assessment until May 31, 2023. The CFRT recommended reviewing domestic violence risk and lethality assessment tools for wider availability, improving collaboration between concurrent court systems (domestic relations and dependency/neglect), and changing Volume 7 rules to allow a founded finding at referral stage when there are fatalities with no surviving siblings or responsible persons, as requiring a full assessment in such cases "is not trauma informed for the family or the child welfare staff." The GoFundMe for the children described them as "victims of the systemic failure of our judicial process for evaluating and granting child custody."
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