Innocent bystander may lose mobility after police shootout in Colorado Springs

The innocent bystander who was caught in the crossfire Monday between Colorado Springs police, El Paso County deputies and an auto-theft suspect may be immobilized at the age of 27.

That’s according to a GoFundMe account for Thomas Villanueva, who we first reported was shot through the chest Monday in an incident that also claimed the life of El Paso County Deputy Micah Flick.

We spoke to Villanueva’s roommates on the night of the shooting, who said they heard more than a dozen shots ring out in the parking lot. They rushed to the window, facing the south, and saw Thomas on the ground.

Villanueva had walked across the street to get food, his roommates said, and when he walked back across the street, he saw the law enforcement officers before they attempted to arrest Manuel Zetina. Zetina was killed in the shootout.

El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder said Tuesday that Villanueva was innocent and caught “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The page for Villanueva’s fundraiser says he started running as soon as he heard the shots, but he was struck by a bullet that went through his left shoulder, passed through his spinal cord and then exited through his left lung.

“It’s a terrible shame that people lost their lives in such a needless act of violence , but a young man like Thomas to be immobilized at 27 is an equal tragedy,” the page reads.

Villanueva’s exact condition isn’t known, but the fundraiser’s goal is for his future financial security. You can donate to the fund by clicking HERE.