On a summer evening in Rifle, Colorado, the night of July 3, 2001, turned into a scene of terror and tragedy. Juan Manuel Hernandez-Carrillo, a 44-year-old man, became one of the victims in a violent shooting spree that shattered the small mountain community. The shooter, Steven Michael Stagner, then 42, began his rampage near the City Market grocery store, where Hernandez-Carrillo was on a payphone.
Without warning, Stagner opened fire, fatally wounding him.
The violence did not end there. Stagner proceeded to a nearby mobile home park, where he continued shooting, ultimately killing three other individuals and wounding three more. The other deceased victims were identified as Angelica Toscano-Salgado, 19, and brothers Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez, 23, and Juan Carlos Medrano-Velasquez, 22. All of the victims, including Hernandez-Carrillo, were of Mexican nationality. The sudden and senseless act of violence sent shockwaves through the local Hispanic community and the town of Rifle as a whole.
Law enforcement swiftly responded to the chaotic scene. Stagner was apprehended by Rifle police minutes after the shootings, still in possession of the firearm used in the attacks. He was subsequently charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder. The investigation into the motive revealed a troubled history of mental illness.
During the legal proceedings, Stagner’s mental state became a central issue. After evaluations by multiple psychiatrists, he was found to be legally insane at the time of the shootings. This led to a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. As a result, Steven Michael Stagner was committed to the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo for a sentence ranging from one day to life. The outcome of the trial brought a complex and somber conclusion to a case that left a lasting scar on the community of Rifle.
