Two women charged with attempted murder after teen shot in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- Two women are facing multiple felony charges after Colorado Springs police say gunfire erupted during an early-morning confrontation in the Astrozon Plaza parking lot, leaving a teenage girl critically injured.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Colorado Springs Police Department, the shooting happened just after 3 a.m. Sunday in a plaza near an after-hours club on the city’s south side.
Police identified the suspects as 21-year-old Alyssa Marie Jaramillo and Alexious Barben-Wright. Both are facing four counts of attempted first-degree murder and additional charges, including menacing.
Court documents state that the violence began as a disturbance between two groups in the parking lot. A sedan carrying four teenage girls was approached by Jaramillo and Barben-Wright during the confrontation.
Witnesses told investigators that Jaramillo was holding a handgun and handed it to Barben-Wright. The affidavit alleges Barben-Wright then opened the rear driver-side door of the teens’ vehicle and struck one of the girls with the gun.
Moments later, the gun discharged.
Police say at least one shot struck a 15-year-old girl in the head or neck area. Officers recovered two 9-millimeter shell casings from the scene.
The injured teen was transported to a local hospital and, according to court records, is currently unable to breathe on her own and has not yet been able to provide a statement.
The three other teens inside the vehicle were not shot but are listed as victims in the case.
Business owners at the plaza told KRDO13 they were shaken by the violence. Owners of Club Tilt shared surveillance footage showing the area where investigators say the shooting unfolded, at the opposite end of the shopping center near an after-hours club.
According to the affidavit, multiple witness statements and video evidence contradicted Jaramillo’s initial denial of involvement. Photo lineups were conducted, and witnesses identified the alleged shooter.
The shooting disrupted businesses throughout the plaza the following day, with portions of the area closed off during the investigation.
One woman who attends meetings at the plaza told KRDO13 she was unable to return the next day because of the crime scene and said she no longer feels safe at the location.
"I wouldn't come here after 7 o'clock to save my life. I'm here, I got a commitment once a week to come here after 7, and that's all I can handle on that," said Elizabeth Honea.
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