EL PASO COUNTY – As of Monday afternoon, information regarding a toddler shot and killed Sunday night in Colorado Springs was still limited.
The incident happened in the 1500 block of Hartford Street near I-25 and South Academy.
News 5 spoke with neighbors who are heartbroken by this tragedy. They said they didn’t know the two-year-old personally, but did see him with his family sometimes walking through the neighborhood. They now want justice for his death.
Stratmoor Valley resident Mike Alvaran said, “I heard pop, pop and that was it.”
Those were the sounds Alvaran said he heard Sunday night when he was working outside.
Fellow neighbor Robert Ploessel said, “Last night I didn’t hear a gunshot or nothing, but I did see all the cop cars and lights and everything, and I was getting ready to walk out the door when I seen all the lights and I went oh, this ain’t good.”
Alvaran said, “I was listening to the police officer back there and they said, yeah, you know somebody got shot.”
The two men soon found out that the victim was one of the youngest members of their community.
Ploessel said, “I was pretty upset about that.”
Alvaran said, “Saddens my heart…for that little two-year-old.”
The toddler was someone Alvaran only knew from a distance.
“They always walk their kid to the bus stop over here…the baby’s always in the stroller…cute, little kid.”
Alvaran and some others in the area said the young victim was living near drugs and weapons.
“I know they’re all crackheads back there…there’s been many gunshots back there…the last six months police have been there almost every week.”
After the senseless loss of this two-year-old he wants to see action taken.
“I want to see more law enforcement out here.”
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, but as of Monday afternoon it was not sharing the circumstances surrounding the death, if any charges were filed or if there was a history of calls to the home.
Alvaran said, “I want to see somebody get responsible for that little boy losing his life. He’s only two years old.”
Ploessel said, “May God rest his soul and he’s not suffering no more.”
This is an ongoing investigation. News 5 will keep you updated.
