Isaac Garcia, an 18-year-old Hispanic man described as goofy, funny, and caring, was on the verge of a major accomplishment in the spring of 2021. He was about to graduate from Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and according to his father, he was very proud of himself and looking forward to walking across the stage. That milestone was tragically taken from him.
On the evening of Sunday, April 18, 2021, a neighbor in the Security-Widefield area reported hearing
gunshots. Just after 5 p.m., deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office arrived at the 4800 block of Spokane Way, where they found two people, each with a single gunshot wound. Both were rushed to a local hospital. One of the victims, who was not publicly identified, was expected to survive. The other, Isaac Garcia, had been shot in the chest and died from his injuries.
The Sheriff's Office launched a homicide investigation. According to an arrest affidavit, another 18-year-old, Kamrin Long, had told an unidentified individual to give his address to Isaac. Surveillance video from a neighbor’s home showed a person walking up Long’s driveway around 5 p.m., just before a single gunshot was fired and the person fell backward. When detectives interviewed Long, he admitted to giving Isaac his address and shooting him in the driveway, though he did not provide a reason.
The day after the shooting, authorities arrested Kamrin Long and booked him on a charge of first-degree murder. In December 2021, Long entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to an amended charge of second-degree murder. On February 23, 2022, a judge sentenced him to 36 years in prison.
After his death, Mesa Ridge High School gave Isaac’s diploma to his family. His father, Jose Garcia, spoke on the day of the sentencing about the senseless loss. "Picking up a gun never makes you a man," he said, adding that he was turning to his Christian faith to navigate the struggle of forgiving his son's killer. The case was closed with Long's sentencing in February 2022.
