If you live in the northeast corner of Colorado, you may have noticed some strange objects flying around the nighttime skies. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it just your imagination? The answer to all of the above is no, as the mysterious objects appear to be, in fact, drones. But who is flying them, and what is their purpose? No one seems to know:
What began as a drone or two flying over Phillips and Yuma counties the week before Christmas has since expanded to more counties and more drones, leaving both locals and law officials baffled.
According to a December 20th Facebook post by the Phillips County Sheriff's Office, multiple reports were called in, and more than 16 drones were tracked in a one-night period between the northeast Phillips and Yuma counties.
Since then, these drones have expanded both their reach and the number of objects in the air, with the Denver Post reporting additional sightings in Lincoln, Washington, and Sedgwick counties.
Since neither local nor national authorities are claiming to have anything to do with the drones, the reason for their presence is downright baffling. The objects are said to be large (some with a 6-foot wingspan) and to fly in groups of up to 30 in strange, grid-like patterns.
If you see these strange drones flying overhead, the sheriff's offices warn against shooting them down, as they are still considered an aircraft and are protected under federal law.
The penalty for shooting down a drone or any aircraft is a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Have you seen the drones flying overhead (typically between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.)? If so, you are asked to call your local sheriff's office, as they are taking reports and still investigating the case.
