Investigators Close To An Arrest In Sunday’s Shooting

By Lindsay Watts

EL PASO COUNTY-Three suspects in a weekend shoot-out are still on the loose, but on Monday sheriff’s investigators said they were close to arresting one man.Thevictims’ names have also been released: Thurston Livingstone, 20, and Christopher Campbell, 26. Livingstone is in critical condition.

Sheriff’s investigators believe rival gang members showed up at a party atthe Claremont Ranch Townhomeson Shannara Grove early Sunday. A fight broke out, and deputies say up to 25 shots were fired. The incident rattledthe quiet county neighborhood.

“It can happen from the Broadmoor, to Briargate, to Security/Widefield, it just covers the county,” says El Paso Sheriff’s Chief Joe Breister.”There are no boundaries when it comes to gang activity.”

And there’s no better proof of that than Sunday’s shooting at the new townhome complex.Chief Breister says the gang members were likely from the Bloods and the Crips, and that up to 16 people may have been packing guns at the party.

“Too many people, too much alcohol, too many guns,” says Breister.

Hesays county gang crime has held steady the last few years, but that the bad economy may be making violence more severe.

“Ithink it’s one of those things, as the economy turns, it’s harder for them to continue in their illicit trades, so they may resort to higher profile crimes like a robbery,” he says.

And he says warmer weather generally brings more gang crime.

“Obviously the time for them to be out later, where the conditions aren’t so miserable,” he says.

Many neighbors we talked to at the Claremont Townhomes say they were shocked by Sunday’s shooting, but some say it’s just a reminder ofthe ugly reality of gangs.

“It’s getting more and more prevalent here and you see it all over,” says Jason McFerron.”You see the tagging, you see the graffiti and it’s a growing problem. I think a lot of residents don’t have any idea, as a city as a whole, it’s here, it’s not coming, it’s a reality.”