Pueblo police chief discusses recent gang violence

There have been nine gang-related shootings in Pueblo since May 11.

The most recent occurred Wednesday around 1:40 a.m. in the 1200 block of Amarillo Street. Police said three or four men forced their way inside a house and shot a 21-year-old man. Police said the suspected gang members then ran away. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The incident left neighbors scared and concerned.

“It’s nerve-wracking,” said Lisa Curtis, a Pueblo resident. “I just try to stay safe and in the house. And mind my own.”

Police don’t have descriptions of the men involved in the home invasion.

Velez said the incident appears to be more drug-related than gang-related, but told KRDO NewsChannel 13 this May and June have been active months for gangs in Pueblo.

“I don’t think there’s been an increased level of violence, however, there seems to be an increase level at the moment in retaliatory kinds of shootings,” Velez said.

He said about 10 gang members from two gangs are responsible for most of the recent gang violence in the city, adding that the shootings are mostly a series of retaliations.

“Their numbers are not great, but I think they contribute inordinately to the proportion of crimes that are taking place in our city,” he said.

When asked what’s motivating the turf war between the two gangs, Velez said he didn’t know but is concerned that a bystander may get hurt in the crossfire.

“That’s the reason why it provides us a great deal of impetus to not only identify these individuals and arrest them, but work in conjunction with others be it the sheriff’s office or the district attorney’s office to ensure that these individuals are not only identified and arrested, but then prosecuted,” Velez said.

Velez said he’s working with the district attorney’s office and the FBI to crack down on gang violence. He said the department is a member of the FBI’s Safe Streets Program, and is exploring what options it has to deal with gangs.