On the evening of November 20, 2021, 23-year-old Gage Martin Celano was at the Memorial Park skate park in Colorado Springs with his two cousins. What began as a typical night of skateboarding took a tragic turn when a shooting broke out at approximately 7:14 pm. Gage, a Colorado Springs native known for his genuine, good-hearted nature, was fatally wounded during the incident.
He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Gage was not the only member of his family to be affected by the violence that night. His 14-year-old cousin, Dominic Celano, was also killed in the shooting. A third victim, Gage's 12-year-old cousin Dylan, was also shot multiple times but survived his injuries. Family members described a harrowing scene where Dominic stepped forward to protect his younger brother and was killed instantly, while Gage was shot nine times as he tried to help other people at the skatepark get to safety.
In the wake of the shooting, the Colorado Springs Police Department's Homicide/Assault Unit launched an investigation. Despite their efforts, no arrests have been made in the case, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The investigation remains active and ongoing. The family of Gage and Dominic Celano has been left searching for answers and closure. The tragedy was compounded when Gage's father passed away just over a year after his son's death, which family members attribute to a broken heart. The community has mourned the loss of Gage, who was remembered for his love of skateboarding, hiking, and spending time with his friends and family.
