Another suspect arrested in 2019 Colorado Springs shooting of 19-year-old
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs Police have made another arrest in a 2019 deadly shooting case.
On November 5, 2019, officers responded to a reported shooting in the 2600 block of Briargate Boulevard. At the scene, they found the victim, later identified as 19-year-old Alijah Vialpando, in a crashed vehicle.
He was taken to a hospital and later died from his injuries.
In June of 2020, detectives say multiple interviews led detectives to identify 19-year-old Kellen Fortune as a suspect. The investigation revealed Fortune was staying in Billings, Montana and an arrest warrant for murder in the first degree was issued.
Homicide detectives referred the apprehension efforts of Fortune to CSPD’s Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force comprised of members from CSPD, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the United Stated Marshals Service.
The United States Marshals Montana Violent Offender Task Force says they found Fortune and while trying to apprehend him, gunfire was exchanged. Fortune was shot and killed, no law enforcement officers were reportedly injured during the incident.
In July of 2020, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for a second suspect, 21-year-old Gage Kohler, for murder in the first degree. He was served the arrest warrant while he was already in custody at the El Paso County Jail for unrelated charges.
Colorado Springs police say a third person involved in the shooting was taken into custody in May.
On May 5, 2021, detectives applied for and obtained an arrest warrant for a male suspect for Murder in the first degree. The man was arrested on May 11, 2021, by the Colorado Springs Police Department's Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force and booked into the El Paso County Jail.
Police say they are unable to release the name of the suspect until the District Attorney's Office makes a charging decision. The suspect is an adult but at the time of the 2019 shooting, the suspect was a minor.
The homicide investigation of Vialpando is still an active investigation, anyone with information is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719)-444-7000.
