In the winter of 2021, the life of 19-year-old Pheonix Samantha Lenea Vigil was tragically cut short in what authorities would later describe as a violent act of domestic violence. On the evening of February 3rd, in a quiet four-plex on Loomis Avenue near Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace, leading to a grim discovery for El Paso County Sheriff's deputies who were dispatched to the scene around 5 p.m.
Upon their arrival, they were met with a horrific
sight. Inside the residence, three individuals, including Pheonix Vigil, were found deceased. A fourth person was discovered with severe, life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, but tragically succumbed to their wounds the following day. The investigation into the violent encounter would soon reveal the heartbreaking truth of a triple homicide and suicide.
The additional victims of the massacre were identified as 20-year-old Joseph Viera and 17-year-old Sylvio Anglada. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office, after a thorough investigation, identified the suspect as 19-year-old Tristan Griffin. It was determined that Griffin was responsible for the deaths of Vigil, Viera, and Anglada before taking his own life.
Pheonix, born on June 2, 2001, in Colorado Springs, was remembered for her kind and pure heart. She was a loving sister, daughter, and friend, and was known for making everyone feel at home. At the time of her death, she was pursuing a career as a medical assistant at Pima Medical Institute and was preparing to begin her externship. She had graduated from the Bijou School in 2019 and was looking forward to building a beautiful life for herself. As the investigation concluded that the perpetrator was among the deceased, no arrests were made in connection with this devastating incident that left a community in mourning and a family to grapple with the sudden and violent loss of a young woman on the cusp of her future.
