Christmas Eve Citadel Mall shooting victim identified
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says that 18-year-old Teryus Thomas was killed in a shooting at the Citadel Mall on Christmas Eve.
CSPD responded to a shots-fired call where they found that a fight had broken out between two groups of people.
Police say two other men were injured in the shooting but are in stable condition. Officers found Thomas dead at the scene from a gunshot wound.
CSPD is investigating Thomas' death as a homicide.
Thomas was also a brother, son and soon-to-be father. His girlfriend, Symone Normore, found out just two weeks before he was murdered that she was pregnant. She's due in April.
His mother, Chere Lewis didn't find out about the incident until hours after it happened. As soon as the girlfriend and two sisters found out, however, they say they rushed to the scene where they were stopped by authorities.
"We're thinking in our minds like it couldn't be him. But no way. You know, like, out of everybody. There's no way. Like, he was never one to cause, like, problems with anybody or start fight," Normore said.
Thomas would have turned 19 this week.
"We just stayed at the house all together. We didn't open presents. We didn't do anything for Christmas," Chere Lewis said.
This is the 35th homicide in the City of Colorado Springs this year. At this time last year, there were 54 homicides.
This is still an active investigation, and anyone with information or who is a witness to this investigation is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000; or if you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
If you want to help this family raise funds for funeral expenses, the Gofundme link is here.
