| Shooting victim identified, alleged gunman captured | |
| May 13, 2011 Dawn Bowen | |
 Authorities have released the name of the 33-year-old Scottsbluff man who died of gunshot wounds outside his home on Friday. Dominic Marquez of 1730 Avenue H on Scottsbluff’s west side was shot and killed around 1 p.m. Friday while he was inside his pickup truck, a black 2006 Chevrolet Avalanche that came to rest in a neighbor’s yard at the intersection of 18th Street and Avenue H. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots and seeing a dark colored Jeep Cherokee fleeing the scene immediately after the shooting. Police alerted authorities in surrounding communities to be on the lookout for the vehicle. A suspect was reportedly arrested in Wyoming shortly before 4 p.m. Police have not released the identity of the alleged shooter. Police officers blocked streets and used caution tape to cordon off the area around the crime scene. A half-dozen bullet holes were visible on the driver’s side of the Avalanche’s front windshield. Additional bullet holes were visible on the passenger side of the truck where the side windows were shattered. Neighbors gathered with Marquez’s family members and watched as police continued their investigation into the evening. Neighbor Cam Schaub who lives across the street and north of Marquez’s home said he looked outside his window around 1 p.m. after hearing “popping” that sounded like someone knocking on the glass of his front door. “I thought somebody was knocking on my window,” he said, adding that he looked outside but didn’t see anyone. About 10 minutes later, he said, police started arriving in the neighborhood. He said another neighbor had called 911. Police set up a mobile command center in the street and officers with the Scottsbluff Police Department, Gering Police Department and Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office were on the scene. Just a block away, children were seen riding their bicycles along the sidewalk. Nearby residents made their way to Avenue H to view the scene. Schaub struggled to make sense of the shooting that he said took the life of a kind man. “It’s such a tragedy. He was a nice guy, a very nice guy,” he said. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly. The world’s a lesser place without him. How somebody could shoot someone like him, I just don’t understand it. It’s very sad.” *** Police on scene of apparent shooting By Dawn Bowen editor@geringcitizen.com Scottsbluff police responded to the scene of an apparent shooting around 1:15 p.m. Friday on Scottsbluff’s west side. One witness in the area of 18th and Avenue H reported hearing numerous gunshots just after 1 p.m. Police officers have blocked off the area and are conducting an investigation. Police are looking for the driver of a vehicle that they believe may have been involved in the shooting – a black Jeep Cherokee or Jeep-like SUV, possibly with damage to the front end. Scottsbluff police declined to comment at this time, saying no public information officer was available. Read more by Dawn Bowen |
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