Two victims in Memorial Park shooting identified, family friend remembers teens
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- An act of senseless violence leaves yet another family torn apart struggling to understand how or why this would ever happen.
Saturday, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department responded to the Skate Park at Memorial Park around 7 p.m. At the scene, officers found three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
According to CSPD, a "juvenile male" died at the scene. Two other victims, an adult and a juvenile, were taken to a local hospital. Police say the adult victim died as a result of their injuries.
Monday, the father identified two of the victims, 12-year-old Dylan Celano and 14-year-old Dominic Celano.
Their father Ray, a retired Sergeant with the Hollister Police Department, relocated the family to Colorado less than a month ago to be closer to family.
“It seems like they left the other day and we were saying goodbye," Patrick Shleeter, a close family friend of the Celano’s. "We had plans to come visit them this summer actually, but now everyone is having to deal with this.”
Shleeter, an English teacher, formed more than a decade-long friendship with the Celano family when they lived in Hollister, California.
The family friend told KRDO how he's known Dylan and Dominic for almost all their lives. Shleeter was the boy's martial arts teacher since they were old enough to walk.
“There is still a message board at the academy where we all did martial arts together where it says ‘Good luck Celano’s’, and people painted and wished them the best," Shleeter said.
However, the Celano's next chapter took a tragic turn when Dominic, Dylan, and their older cousin Gage were caught in gunfire at the Memorial Skate Park.
Shleeter described the incident in more detail to KRDO.
“A shooter approached them and said something to Dylan and he did not understand what he said so his response was ‘What’, like what did you say…" Shleeter said. "Then the shooter proceeded to shoot five times… five times.”
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, when officers from the Gold Hills Division arrived on the scene - they found Gage and Dominic laying on the ground, suffering from gunshot wounds. Police say the juvenile victim died at the scene. The family friend confirmed that was Dominic
At this time, the Hollister Police Department reports Dylan is in stable but critical condition.
“This is yet another act of random cowardly act of gun violence to innocent kids to two heroes who rushed into gunfire to save young Dylan who is courageously fighting for his life right now in the hospital," Shleeter said.
Shleeter started this GoFundMe in the coming hours following the tragedy. More than $30,000 was raised in just 24 hours. Shleeter hopes the funds will help the Celano’s get through this difficult time.
“Because we knew there would be funeral expenses, and we know there is going to be hospital bills...we wanted to make sure that was the one thing the family did not have to worry about," he said.
The Hollister Police Department released the following statement:
Our department family is reeling from this devastating news and we are heartbroken. Our hearts ache for the entire Celano family. We cannot commit adequate words to the pain we feel. We ask the Hollister community to join us with their thoughts and prayers for Dominic, Dylan’s recovery, and the well-being of the entire Celano family. Dominic would have been 15 on the 29th of November.
The Hollister Police Officer’s Association is reaching out to their Membership for assistance with any expenses the Celano’s might have in the wake of this devastating tragedy. In the near future, the HPOA will organize a public donation campaign to assist with whatever they may need.
Hollister Police Department
The Colorado Springs Police Department has yet to officially release the identities of the three victims. No word on any arrests made in the incident.
