In the summer of 2001, a wave of violence shattered the peace of the small city of Rifle, Colorado, forever altering the lives of many. Among the victims of this tragedy was Angelica Toscano Salgado, a 19-year-old Hispanic female who had only been in the United States for 22 days. On the night of July 3rd, what began as a seemingly ordinary evening took a horrific turn.
The chaos began to unfold in the parking lot of the City Market grocery store when a local man, Steven Michael Stagner,
42, began a shooting rampage. His first victim was a man using a payphone. Shortly after, Stagner crossed the parking lot and shot Angelica Toscano, who was on a payphone speaking with her mother in Mexico. The bullet struck her in the head, leaving her in critical condition. Stagner then continued his attack, moving across the street to the Bookcliff Mobile Home Park, where he targeted more individuals.
Angelica Toscano was rushed to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, where she fought for her life for three days before succumbing to her injuries. In total, Stagner's rampage claimed the lives of four people and left three others wounded, all of whom were Hispanic. The incident was investigated as a racially motivated hate crime.
Steven Michael Stagner was arrested the same night. He had a history of mental illness, including schizophrenia and manic depression, and had reportedly been ranting about 'hellfire and damnation' earlier in the day. His family had tried for years to have him committed to a long-term mental health facility. During legal proceedings, the district attorney opted not to seek the death penalty due to Stagner's long history of mental illness. In October 2002, Steven Michael Stagner was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was sentenced to the Colorado Mental Health Institute for one day to life. This outcome was met with anger and frustration from the victims' families and the wider community.
