Reported Homicide on 26 Road In Grand Junction

This past weekend, an incident occurred in Grand Junction, Colorado. At 6:15 am on Saturday, March 4th, deputies with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to multiple reports of gunshots in the 800 block of 26 Road. Upon arrival, police discovered a deceased male found lying in the street with a fatal gunshot wound. A suspect vehicle, a red Ford Explorer, was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed, and a short pursuit occurred. They followed the suspect vehicle to the 2200 Block of Broadway, where the driver abruptly slammed on the brakes, causing a rear-end collision. The suspect then fled on foot, where he was later discovered hiding in an attic storage space on Blevins Road. After initially refusing to comply with deputies, the suspect was taken into custody a short time later and transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility. 

Marc Brownell, a resident of the neighborhood directly next to the crime scene was an observer of the two suspects the morning of. “It's a little scary as a parent, you're made very aware that we are instituting a neighborhood watch program in our neighborhood. I'd like to think of myself as an observant person, and I observed both of the suspects two days prior to the event. They were wandering around our salt wash area and they looked homeless to me, but you can't call that into the police. It was suspicious before but then something like that happens and it makes you wonder if you should have done something different.” Brownell was on his way out of his house around 6:30 am the morning of the shooting and was stopped by a police officer asking if he had heard or seen anything. Brownell has also expressed his opinions on the lack of information being released to the people of Grand Junction. As a parent, husband, and homeowner he wished that GJPD would be able to release at least a little more information on the event. “Well it's concerning because you don't really know what events occurred and what transpired, so it could have been anything. A robbery, a drug deal, who knows? Something bad. And it sure ended badly. I just need to be able to protect my family and my belongings, and living so close to the incident I feel should have made us at least viable for more information, given that it was a homicide.” This is an active and ongoing investigation, evidence continues to be processed, and investigators still have several interviews to complete. The Mesa County Coroner is responsible for releasing the name of the deceased and the cause and manner of death. This is a reminder to our Bulldogs and all families in Grand Junction to stay safe.