On the evening of November 20, 2021, a family outing to a local skate park in Colorado Springs ended in tragedy. Fourteen-year-old Dominic Celano, his 23-year-old cousin Gage Celano, and his 12-year-old brother Dylan were at the Memorial Park skate park when they were confronted by two unknown individuals. The family had only recently moved to Colorado Springs from California, seeking a change of pace and to be closer to family.
An encounter with two unidentified suspects quickly
escalated to violence. The assailants, wearing hoodies pulled tightly over their heads, brandished firearms and opened fire on the three family members. Dominic reportedly stepped in front of his younger brother to shield him and was fatally shot. His cousin, Gage, was also shot multiple times while trying to get other people at the skate park to safety. When first responders arrived at the scene near 1705 E. Pikes Peak Avenue at approximately 7:14 p.m., they found Dominic deceased.
Gage Celano was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Dylan, the youngest of the three, was critically injured with five gunshot wounds but survived after undergoing emergency surgery. The Colorado Springs Police Department's Homicide/Assault Unit took over the investigation into what became the city's 37th and 38th homicide investigations of 2021.
In the aftermath, the Celano family has been left searching for answers and justice. Dominic was described as a good boy who died just nine days before his fifteenth birthday. His father, a retired police sergeant, has spoken publicly about the devastating impact of the shooting on his family and has pleaded for witnesses to come forward. Despite the ongoing investigation and a reward being offered for information, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in the shooting. The motive for the attack is still unclear, though it has been reported that the suspects shouted street gang slogans during the incident.
