In the late afternoon of a September day in Colorado Springs, the life of 19-year-old Trevor Joseph Edward Branson was tragically cut short. On September 18, 2022, police received a call about a shooting at a residence on Gunshot Pass Drive. When officers arrived, they found Trevor Branson deceased inside the home. The El Paso County Coroner's Office would later officially identify him and conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death.
His passing was investigated as a homicide, marking the 34th such investigation in the city that year.
Known to his family as 'The Giant,' Trevor was remembered as a loving and helpful young man. His grandmother, Shirley Alford, in whose home the shooting occurred, described him as a 'big teddy bear.' He was living with her and his mother, assisting them around the house while he searched for a job. His family was left heartbroken and bewildered, struggling to comprehend why anyone would harm the six-foot-seven young man they described as a 'gentle giant.' They recalled how he would lovingly ask his grandmother, 'Nana, what's for dinner?' His sudden and violent death left a void in their lives.
Weeks after the fatal shooting, the Colorado Springs Police Department announced an arrest in connection with Trevor's murder. On October 7, 2022, detectives secured an arrest warrant for a juvenile male, charging him with murder in the first degree. A few days later, on October 10, a deputy with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office took the suspect into custody. Due to the suspect's age, authorities did not release his identity or any further details about the circumstances leading to the shooting. The victim's grandmother indicated that the family was acquainted with the teenage boy accused of the crime, adding to their shock and disbelief. The investigation into Trevor Branson's death remains active.
