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, while they slept in their beds at his Fort Collins, Colorado home. The father then called 911 stating "you will find three deceased people in the house" before killing himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The parents were divorced and engaged in a contentious custody battle; a Parental Responsibility Evaluator had recommended the mother be allowed to move out-of-state with the children, with the father receiving only summer and holiday visitation. The father, who had a history of depression, suicidal ideation, and domestic violence against the mother, left notes explaining his desire to kill himself and his perceived need to kill the children to "save them" from dealing with his suicide. Marijuana gummies were found in the trash, and the mother believed the father may have administered them to the children two days prior as a "test run." The family had two prior CPS referrals—one involving a suspicious injury and one involving possible sexual abuse—but neither was accepted for assessment.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The fatality report states 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" the day before the fatal incident, and "[m]arijuana gummies were found in the trash" at the father's home. While not confirmed, the mother's belief combined with the children's symptoms and physical evidence strongly suggests 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 explicitly states the children "died [from]… gun shot [sic] wounds" and the father "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 "Two Colorado girls were fatally shot by a man, who then turned the gun on himself."
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 the father "murdered the children in their beds, both of whom 'died [from]… gun shot [sic] wounds.'" The father "had shot and killed both [children] in the household overnight." This constitutes inflicted injury by shooting.
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 the father "had shot and killed both [children] in the household overnight and killed himself after calling law enforcement." The news article headline explicitly describes this as a "Murder-Suicide" and states "authorities say [Adam Zipperer] died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound."
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." Additionally, the risk factors section lists "The potential sex abuse the children allegedly experienced" as a contributing factor. The RED Team noted "concerns of possible sexual abuse" and that "the younger child was receiving therapy and might make a disclosure in therapy soon."
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" of the children, and the parents were going through a custody case over their children. The news article identifies the family as sharing the last name Zipperer (Adam Zipperer, Cameron Zipperer, Audrey Zipperer). The father "had shot and killed both [children] in the household overnight and killed himself after calling law enforcement."
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 states: "Within the last three years, the family had prior involvement with Larimer County Department of Human Services consisting of two referrals." These were a 1/16/2020 referral about the older child's injury and discrepant explanations, and a 4/8/2020 referral about the younger child's vagina being red after the father's parenting time. Both referrals were screened out and not accepted for assessment.
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 contains extensive references to domestic violence. The mother "reported that the father had been abusive towards her during their relationship, which led to their divorce." She "reported several instances of domestic violence perpetrated by the father." 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." The April 2020 referral also noted "the mother had also reported a history of domestic violence" and "[the father] ha[d] been violent enough that he ha[d] put holes in the walls at the[ir] home."
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 extensively references the father's mental health: "The father was reported to have depression, Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD), and a history of suicidal ideation. The father was actively seeking mental health therapy." The risk factors list "The father's history of depression" and "The father's history of suicidal ideation" as contributing factors. The father's girlfriend "was aware of the father's mental health issues." The father also "often expressed suicidal thoughts while around the children."
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. The mother "believed the father might have given the children marijuana gummies on December 1, 2022, as 'a test run.'" This implies the father possessed and potentially used marijuana products. While the gummies may have been intended solely for the children, the father's possession of them constitutes a reference to substance involvement by the caregiver.
Notable Details
The fatality report documents several notable systemic failures and policy issues. Two prior CPS referrals (January 2020 and April 2020) involving concerns about the children's safety with the father—including possible sexual abuse and domestic violence—were both screened out without assessment. Furthermore, the initial referral about the children's deaths on 12/5/2022 was itself initially rejected with the reason "No current A/N allegation," and was not assigned for assessment until May 31, 2023—nearly six months later. The CFRT found zero systemic strengths, stating "The CFRT did not identify any systemic strengths during the review of this incident." The CFRT identified three systemic gaps: lack of DV resources for offenders without criminal charges, difficulties with concurrent domestic relations and dependency/neglect court cases, and Volume 7 rules not reflecting trauma-informed practice for fatal incidents with no surviving siblings or perpetrator. The CFRT recommended rule changes to allow founded findings at referral stage without requiring a full assessment when all parties are deceased. The GoFundMe described the children as "victims of the systemic failure of our judicial process for evaluating and granting child custody." The father also wrote a letter stating his need to kill the children "in order to save them from 'dealing with [the father's] suicide,'" and the mother believed marijuana gummies were given to the children as "a test run" two days before the murders.
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