In the quiet Toltec neighborhood of Walsenburg, Colorado, a simmering family feud reached its tragic and violent climax on a hot Tuesday afternoon in June 2017. Steve Salazar, a 41-year-old Hispanic male, was at his parents' home, helping with yard work on June 6th, when he was fatally shot. The tranquility of the afternoon was shattered by the sound of at least two gunshots, forever altering the lives of the Salazar family.
The incident unfolded in the front yard of his parents’
residence at 1434 CR 590. Steve, who resided in Colorado Springs but worked in the Huerfano area, was with his 11-year-old nephew at the time. A black pickup truck, driven by his 39-year-old cousin, Victor Salazar, approached the home. Following a brief verbal exchange, Victor, still inside his truck, fired a handgun, striking Steve twice. One bullet hit him in the arm, while the second, fatal shot, struck him squarely in the back, severing an artery and causing massive internal bleeding. Steve Salazar was rushed to the Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after 5 pm.
In the immediate aftermath, Victor Salazar fled the scene in his truck. A witness reported seeing a man hiding on the roof of an unoccupied home on San Antonio Street, leading law enforcement to the area. Within about an hour of the shooting, Huerfano County sheriff's deputies and Colorado State Patrol Troopers located and arrested Victor without incident in the Cemetery Hill area. The black pickup truck was also found nearby, though the 9mm pistol believed to have been used in the shooting was never recovered.
The investigation revealed a history of tension and animosity between the two sides of the Salazar family. Victor Salazar was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon by a prior offender, felony menacing, and misdemeanor child abuse, the latter charge stemming from the presence of his and Steve's young nephew at the scene. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. During his trial, Victor claimed self-defense, alleging that Steve had a large rock in his hand. However, the testimony of the child eyewitness contradicted this, stating that his uncle, Steve, had only bent down as if to pick up a small rock but never had it in his hand when he was shot.
After a week-long trial in November 2019, a Huerfano County District Court jury took just over two hours to find Victor Salazar guilty on all charges. He was convicted of premeditated first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. He also received additional sentences for the other felony and misdemeanor convictions.
