Pueblo homicide victim connected to January 15th shooting

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- On February 4th, Pueblo Police say a man was shot and killed outside the Pueblo Village Apartments. The Pueblo County Coroner later identified that victim as 23-year-old Daniel Howard.

The same day Howard was allegedly murdered, Pueblo Police had posted Howard to their "weekly safe streets wanted criminal round-up," stating they had a warrant for Howard's arrest. He had a no-bond warrant for first-degree murder - extreme indifference along with prohibited use of a firearm and reckless endangerment.

In the 38-page arrest affidavit obtained by KRDO, police believed Howard was involved in the Jan. 15 shooting at Classic Q's bar in south Pueblo. Howard's 2012 Ford Fusion was allegedly connected to the shooting of 47-year-old Renee Gonzales.

When officers arrived at the scene that morning, they found Gonzales in her vehicle with four gunshot wounds, one to her neck. She was rushed to Parkview Medical Center and underwent emergency surgery.

The affidavit states that officers located security camera footage from Classic Q's that shows multiple shots being fired from a 2012 silver Ford Fusion. Once officers believed the vehicle was connected to the shooting, they began to watch Howard at his home and retrieve other instances where Howard was driving a silver Ford Fusion.

The detective noticed that Howard's Fusion had tinted windows and a "shark fin antenna" on the roof of the car. The affidavit states the detective noticed the suspect's vehicle in the shooting of Gonzales had these as well.

Before the shooting at Classic Q's the morning of January 15, police were dispatched to 1021 E Orman Avenue to reports of a "shots fired" call. They recovered over a dozen spent shell casings, and they also found Daniel Howard's ID on a sidewalk adjacent to E Orman Avenue.

Officers at the scene didn't know why Howard's ID would be on scene at E Orman Avenue. There were no reports from Howard regarding a lost driver's license.

On January 19, officers spoke with Daniel Howard at his home about a fight inside the Classic Q's bar and a shooting that occurred there that same night.

Daniel stated that he was having drinks inside the bar with his friend Issak Padilla. He said another man was "tripping" on him. He told police he did not know who the man was or whether he punched him or pushed him.

Officers then showed him photographers of who they believed was the suspected shooter in the shooting of Renee Gonzales. Howard states that he did not know his name. Officers claim in the affidavit that they believed he was being deceitful because Howard greeted the male in the photographs at the bar that night.

As they were leaving his residence, their body-worn cameras were recording Howard's 2012 Fusion that was parked in the driveway.

Pueblo Police officers sent the shell casing found at E Orman Avenue to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network to compared them to those found at Classic Q's bar just a few hours after on January 15. The detective with NIBIN concluded that there was an "extremely high probability" that it was the same 9mm firearm that created the casings at both shooting scenes.

After reviewing all evidence, officers concluded that Daniel Howard was the only individual that drove the 2012 silver Ford Fusion to Classic Q's until a shooting suspect enters the vehicle after the shooting of Renee Gonzales on the morning of January 15th.

The detective states, "It is evident that Daniel acted as a co-complicitor with the shooting suspect and he is hiding the identity of who the shooting suspect is."

KRDO spoke with Daniel's grandmother Joanne Moya on Friday. She said her conversations with Daniel between January 15th and February 4th were brief, but he did tell her that he didn't kill anyone.

"He just said he was innocent. That he wasn't the shooter," Moya said. "He got scared and mentally, it tore him up and he didn't know what to do, but it just scared him because he literally thought he murdered somebody."

On the same day Daniel was murdered, Pueblo Police posted him on their "Safe Streets Criminal Round-up" weekly post on their social media pages.

Moya told KRDO she believes it could have contributed to him being killed.

"It's still on there. He is not arrested as everybody knows. He is deceased. He has been murdered," Moya said. "I don't feel like I am on the same page with police, and it hurts because I don't have my grandson anymore."

Pueblo Police are still attempting to locate a suspect in the shooting at Classic Q's on January 15th. They are asking for the public's help in locating him. He's shown in the video below.

Moya believes the two crimes are connected and that Daniel Howard could have been murdered by someone he knew.

"I know the people that he was involved with at the Classic Q's. These people might be in question. I hear that he was with the same person from the incident at Classic Q's to the shooting [of my grandson]."

The investigation into Howard's murder is still ongoing. According to Pueblo Police, an adult male had been shot and was taken to an area hospital via private vehicle.