On January 7, 2026, Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report in Breckenridge, Colorado, of a man threatening to kill himself along with others. The suspect, Nathaniel Zabik, was identified in the building within 15 minutes of the report. With knowledge of his recent whereabouts, deputies set up a perimeter around Zabik’s residence awaiting his departure from the building.
Synchronous to the stakeout, Zabik’s messages and emails were analyzed by detectives, who found a timeline of a planned mass shooting to be perpetrated in Summit County. With all the coinciding evidence, probable cause was determined and Zabik’s arrest was carried out.
With the perimeter set, probable cause determined, and officers waiting, Zabik exited his residence at approximately 3:20 p.m. and was smoothly taken into custody. Following the successful arrest, Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons stated “We recognized the threat Zabik posed to our community and immediately isolated and contained him. Deputies acted quickly and decisively to ensure there was no risk to public safety.”
Zabik was booked into Summit County Detention Facility on a double felony and single misdemeanor charge. The charges include: a class 6 Felony of inciting destruction of life or property, a class 5 Felony of menacing, and a class 2 Misdemeanor of harassment.
The investigation is ongoing, and will be heard by the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
In the facebook post announcing this arrest, the public commended the successful operation, thanking the Sheriff’s Office as well as wishing proper support for Zabik and all others who are mentally struggling.
