Vidal Vigil, a 24-year-old male, was killed in a shooting on August 26, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The incident unfolded after an altercation in the parking lot of a Days Inn near Garden of the Gods Road. Vigil was with his girlfriend, Jayda Salazar, and another passenger, Pablo Martinez, in his 1973 Chevrolet Silverado truck. An argument broke out between Martinez and a man identified as Michael Gilliam, which escalated to both men throwing rocks at each other.
Following the
initial confrontation, Gilliam left in his vehicle, a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis, and Vigil drove away with his passengers. Shortly after, Gilliam's car began to follow them and drove erratically, eventually forcing Vigil to stop his truck. At that point, Gilliam allegedly reversed his vehicle and fired multiple shots into Vigil's truck, striking him at least once. The Silverado, now out of control, crashed into a tree on North Chestnut Street. When police arrived at approximately 11:42 AM, they found Vigil deceased inside the vehicle with at least one gunshot wound.
The investigation into the death of Vidal Vigil, which marked the 30th homicide in Colorado Springs that year, led to the arrest of 35-year-old Michael Gilliam. He was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Both Salazar and Martinez, who were in the truck with Vigil, identified Gilliam as the shooter.
Vidal Vigil was remembered by his family as a loving and caring person, and a devoted father to his four-year-old daughter, whose birthday was the day before his death. His family, deeply affected by the loss, used tools belonging to Vigil's late father to craft a casing for his urn.
