Zane Killsinsight, the 18-year-old arrested the night of the shooting near Empire Street, was given a preliminary hearing date of Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. at his return of charges filed on Tuesday.
Currently, there have been no other known arrests of the other suspects in the fight and subsequent shooting, though the Cortez Police Department says they have identified their suspects.
In a community briefing last week, Cortez Police Chief Vernon Knuckles answered questions and addressed the concerns of the public, saying that the public is not believed to be in any danger at this time, nor did he think the suspects would come back into town while the investigation was ongoing.
He also gave an update on Josilyn Mark, the 18-year-old victim who nearly lost her leg in the shooting. While still in serious condition, he said the doctors were able to save her leg, and she was expected to recover thanks to the quick actions of Officer Kristin Cannon when she arrived on the scene.
At this time, it hasn’t been revealed what caused the fight that led to the shooting, but police said tensions between the two groups in question have been brewing for a few weeks. They said they believed shootings on Sept. 2 and Sept. 8 likely were connected, though they couldn’t provide details at that time.
One community member asked whether police believed these groups were responsible for the graffiti and tagging seen around town in the past few months, to which police said they believed that to be the case.
According to eye witnesses, the shooting happened after a fight erupted in the street, and some of the bullets hit Mark, who was sitting in a nearby car.
While Killsinsight was arrested the night of the shooting, the other suspects fled the scene and abandoned their cars, creating three separate crime scenes that police sorted through that evening. They also received aid from the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in the initial investigation and aftermath of the shooting.
The investigation, which is being led by Detective Stephon Loboto, is ongoing, and details will be released by the police department as they become available.
Those who wish to stay up-to-date on the case can follow the Cortez Police Department’s Facebook page and download the Crimewatch app, which informs residents about arrests, warrants and more.
The police department also urges residents to subscribe to Everbridge, the emergency service which alerts citizens of emergencies and incidents such as shootings and severe weather.
