An RTD security officer in Denver, Colorado was shot dead in late Tuesday night (31st Jan) had Arizona ties

Police officers responded to reports of a shooting near Union Station around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The victim, Scott Von Lanken 56-years-old of Loveland was a security officer with Allied Universal, which provides security services under the contract for RTD.

According to the reports Lanken was shot in the neck from behind when he was helping two women, who asked him about light rail routes.

Police arrested suspect Joshua Cummings 37-year-old soon after the shooting. According to a local news Cummings has been "flagged" by federal investigators stemming from an altercation at a Texas mosque. He has no criminal history in the state.

Sandy Ritter his sister in law of north Phoenix said that Laken had previously been  a Valley pastor at Assembly Church of God in Fountain Hills. They moved to Denver 13 years ago.

"Scott was the most giving, kind-hearted man that I have probably ever known — next to maybe my husband," she said. "I don't think there's a person in this world who ever would be mad at Scott.

Scott leaves two daughters behind and she explained that the family is at a loss of what they should do. His family will miss him and that anyone who knew scott as a better person for it.

She said Lanken was a police officer “a number of years ago,” but later he joined the ministry, went to Bible college and became a pastor.

Scott was in between churches and working the security job to feed his family.

Ritter said her sister called her in the early morning 3 and said that she had only 40 cents in her wallet and do not have any groceries.

Ritter said she do bit know if there is help there, but that was one thing she was concerned about.

Sources describe ‘radical Muslim’ in death of RTD officer.

AMandeep