Lone survivor of triple-murder suicide in El Paso County shares chilling details of shooting

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The lone survivor of a triple-murder suicide near Peyton is speaking for the first time about how he escaped his brother's rampage.

On Dec. 7. the El Paso County Sheriff's Office responded to an overnight shooting on Akawi Way near Peyton. There, deputies found four people dead and one injured. They were identified as 54-year-old Desiree N. Vandelac, 57-year-old Robert V. Vandelac, and 30-year-old Debray A. Scott.  The Sheriff's Office says it's investigating those deaths as victims of homicide.

However, 22-year-old Peyton S. Vandelac, who was also found dead inside the residence, was not listed as a homicide victim.

In a KRDO13 Exclusive, Tyler Vandelac, the lone survivor, explains what led up to the deadly event and how he got out.

Tyler says that it all started on Dec. 6 at their family home. He explained it had started just like any other day, and his younger brother Peyton even had made him a breakfast sandwich, one that he never ended up eating, and threw out when he returned to the house two weeks later.

Tyler says that night, he and Peyton were watching movies in the basement, and he says Peyton had been drinking heavily that night.

Tyler says Peyton started arguing with him after trying to fix one of their dogs' water fountains in their basement after the second movie ended.

"I tried to grab the water pitcher from him, and he then snaps at me and says, 'Back off before I split you in half like a canoe.'" explained Vandelac.

He then says Peyton charged at him seconds later and began fighting with Tyler. Tyler says he fell backward into their bathroom which ended up dislocating his shoulder in the process.

After the fight subsided, he explained that his parents, Rob and Desiree, or "Nikki", Vandelac started criticizing Peyton for his behavior, and for hurting his brother.

Tyler says his parents told Peyton that he needed to discard the remaining alcohol he had purchased earlier in the night.

As Tyler was getting ready to go to the hospital to fix his shoulder in his room, which is next to the basement, he said heard multiple loud bangs coming from upstairs. When he went to the upstairs hallway, he saw his parents on the floor in the hallway, and his brother wiping what looked like a knife, on the pant leg of their father.

One of his best friends, Debray Scott, was in the basement waiting while he thought the family was going to the hospital to treat Tyler's shoulder. He had been watching the movies with Tyler and Peyton that night.

Tyler says that he rushed to the front door, and struggled to open it due to his injured shoulder. In the process he attempted to yell down to Scott, to alert him of what was going on. He then made a split-second decision to run outside and call 9-1-1.

Scott would later be found dead in the home, once investigators entered later that night, along with Rob and Nikki, as well as Peyton.

It was an enormous loss for Tyler, leaving him without his family just weeks before their favorite holiday to celebrate together.

"The most wonderful time of the year is not just a song for our family. We genuinely indulge in Christmas," said Tyler Vandelac.

After spending time with family on the west coast for the Christmas holiday, he returned to the home on Akawi Way northeast of Peyton and is resuming life with his family's dogs and his cat, while trying to reconcile with what happened.

"My brother seemed completely stable the entire rest of the day up until this moment and I don't know how someone goes from being a completely stable human being to triple homicide and suicide over some rum," Tyler said.

He stressed that he could not believe that intoxication was the only factor that led to Peyton's rampage. He added that he had seen Peyton get to similar levels of intoxication, but had never acted out. Tyler said he believes that Peyton's discharge from the Naval forces in August of 2023 may have weighed heavier on his younger brother than his family was aware of.

A public affairs officer with the Navy told KRDO13 that Peyton Vandelac served with the branch since October 14, 2020, and was an Electronics Technician in the Nuclear Program, 3rd Class. Peyton had been stationed in Charleston, SC, since December of 2020, before his medical discharge, which according to Tyler, was due to severe kidney stones, a problem he dealt with for years growing up.

Tyler explains that he's been wrestling with conflicting emotions after what his brother did to his family.

"Of course, I'm angry at him after what he did... what he did is something that deserves anger.  But I also do miss him. And frankly, you know, I do wish that none of this had ever happened." said Tyler.

The autopsies are still being conducted by the El Paso County Coroner's Office, and the Sheriff's Office says its investigation is ongoing.