LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A gunman broke into the Colorado Supreme Court early Tuesday and took a security guard hostage while firing multiple gunshots before being arrested by local police.

       According to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the accident occurred in Denver, the state's capital city, at 1:15 a.m. local time when an armed man broke into the court from a window after being involved in a two-car crash outside the building.

       The suspect, who was not immediately identified, allegedly held an unarmed guard with the CSP's Capitol Security Unit at gunpoint after entering the building, then obtained keys from the hostage and proceeded into other parts of the building.

       The gunman fired multiple shots inside the building before voluntarily surrendering around 3 a.m. local time. No injuries were reported.

       The break-in was most likely not related to a 4-3 ruling from Colorado's highest court on Dec. 19, which ordered to remove former U.S. President Donald Trump's name from the state's presidential primary ballot, state police said, citing a preliminary investigation led by the Denver Police Department.

       However, some local media outlets linked the incident to the controversial ruling.

       "The shooting is the latest example of violence and intimidation against Colorado's high court and its justices after the court's 4-3 decision last month," The Forbes said in a story covering the shooting.

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       The Denver Police Department was investigating a series of threats against the court's justices and it would provide additional security support if requested, Colorado Public Radio reported last week.