Six juveniles arrested in connection to February shooting in Falcon that left two teens dead
FALCON, Colo. (KRDO) - After nearly six months, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office announced six juveniles were arrested for their connection in a shooting that left two teens dead.
In the early morning of February 5, 2023, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Communications Center received numerous 911 reports for multiple shots fired in the 12200 block of Point Reyes Dr. in the Meridian Ranch neighborhood.
At the scene, deputies found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Five people were taken to nearby hospitals for varying levels of injuries.
According to the sheriff's office, a teen died from his injuries at the hospital. Five days later on Feb. 10, a second teen victim died.
James Ludwick, who lives two houses down from where the shooting took place, said the images of what he saw that night are etched on his mind.
“A loud argument broke out in the backyard of that house, and within, geez, a minute or so, gunfire broke out," explained Ludwick to KRDO the day after the shooting.
Ludwick said when he heard the commotion, he poked his head out of his front door to see what was happening.
"There was a green car over there and somebody standing in between those houses, and they were shooting at each other," said Ludwick. "I saw them put him on a stretcher and they had another body in the road."
Families of the victims previously told 13 Investigates they were upset by how long the investigation took.
In April, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said tight-lipped witnesses were making progress difficult. The agency also said the involvement of minors also complicated the investigation.
“Witnesses are an essential component of many investigations, but in this instance, many witnesses have refused to cooperate or come forward which has slowed progress,” the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Since the shooting, the EPCSO said multiple persons of interest were identified, most of which were minors. The sheriff's office said their ages complicated the investigation process.
Through a joint operation between the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the Pueblo Police Department, investigators gained access to phone records, social media, surveillance, and more. That allowed investigators to identify two suspects.
In July, one juvenile male was arrested on charges of attempted murder and other charges related to this incident.
Then, in late July during a multijurisdictional operation, a 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for the murders of 17-year-old Javier Lopez and 17-year-old Caleb Nickerson. He faces 50 charges related to the February shooting, including two counts of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted first-degree murder, and multiple counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon.
In total, six suspects were arrested on various charges for their involvement in the Falcon shooting and on unrelated warrants. All of the suspects have been booked into juvenile detention centers.
The EPCSO said additional arrests are likely in the future as law enforcement continues to investigate crimes allegedly committed by this group of minors.
The EPCSO said it worked in collaboration with the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office, Pueblo Police Department, Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, Colorado Springs Police Department, Fountain Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, FBI Safe Streets Taskforce, and ATF for this ongoing investigation.
