In the summer of 2011, a tragic event cut short the life of 16-year-old Austin Wayne Howse. On the night of July 27, Howse, along with brothers Wayne Dylan Fix, 19, and Aaron William Fix, 16, were fatally shot while sitting in their vehicle on Mira Loma Drive in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The young men were friends, and their sudden deaths sent shockwaves through their community.
The investigation into the triple homicide quickly pointed to a suspect, 24-year-old Michael Arangio.
Authorities believed the shooting was not a random act of violence but rather stemmed from a roadway 'disturbance' that had occurred between Arangio's vehicle and the one carrying the three teenagers. Investigators found no other connection between the suspect and the victims. A search for Arangio ensued, with police warning the public that he was considered armed and dangerous.
The manhunt for Michael Arangio came to a dramatic and somber conclusion a few days later. On a Saturday afternoon, police located him at the Resort at University Park, an apartment complex where he resided. A five-hour standoff followed, during which negotiators attempted to communicate with Arangio. The standoff ended when Arangio took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death left the families of Austin Howse and the Fix brothers with unanswered questions about the specific details of the events that led to the tragic loss of their loved ones.
