District attorney, police chief talk about rash of shootings in Pueblo

Police Chief Luis Velez said officers have investigated 21 shootings this year, specifically where someone shot or tried to shoot at someone.

“Thirteen of the 21 shootings have been gang related or gang involved,” Velez said.

KRDO NewsChannel 13 spoke with Jeff Chostner, district attorney of the 10th Judicial District, about the recent shootings.

“These shootings, while they have a tang of gang element and a tang of drug activity, really are more about a generation of folks who find it easier to use a gun to settle a dispute than any other method of conflict resolution,” Chostner said.

He said prosecuting cases involving gang members can be difficult.

“There’s somewhat of a code of silence among some of these folks that do not want to speak about what’s gone on. That affects our ability to prosecute the cases,” Chostner said. “The charge that you can bring against the people is not the greater charge that you would like to.”

Velez said the police department is working with the FBI to classify the two rival gangs responsible for many of the shootings as criminal enterprises. He said that would allow them to issue criminal and civil sanctions.

“When you can leverage federal charges, criminal charges — that really changes the playing field,” Velez said. “When you can start seizing their property, that changes the entire ballgame.”

Velez told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that classifying those gangs as criminal enterprises will take two years.