The story of the shooting death of 13-year-old Derek Gonzales in Pueblo on Monday night has changed — from a gang-related drive-by to an apparent accident.
Gonzales’ 14-year-old brother initially told police a gang member in a dark-colored Chevrolet Camaro fired the shotgun blast that hit his younger brother in the face, police said.
Tuesday, police said that the evidence at the scene didn’t support the story and that the boys might have been playing with the sawed-off shotgun when it went off.
The fatal shot was fired closer than from the street, and the shotgun was found in bushes across the street from the home, 1550 Pike Ave. in Pueblo, police said.
“There appeared to be more to the story than the initial report,” said Pueblo police Sgt. Steve Etienne. “It’s probably not an intentional shooting, but it’s still under investigation.”
The brother has not been named because he is a juvenile. He was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant and held at the Pueblo Youth Services Center, police said.
At least four boys were on the front porch when the shooting happened, police said.
Tammy Hall, whose mother lives on the block, had seen the boys hanging around the home earlier in the evening. She was not sure whether any of them lived there.
The rental is known for being noisy and having frequent visitors, including police, she said.
“The police come and go, come and go, come and go,” she said.
Hall was watching television with her mother Monday night when they heard a “big bang.”
“We just kind of ignored it, and a few minutes later we see all these police cars and firetrucks and everyone else,” Hall said.
Derek died en route to the hospital.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
