Springs man admits shooting another

A Colorado Springs man admitted Thursday he shot and killed another man after a rap concert at Memorial Park in 2007.

John Rangel, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and several other charges for shooting Anthony "Michael" Grimaldo, 20, in the back on May 28, 2007, Memorial Day.

The pleas came as part of a deal with prosecutors, who dropped a first-degree murder charge and several other felonies.

Rangel, who was on probation for a 2006 felony menacing conviction, will be sentenced to 64 years in prison on Nov. 14.

Despite entering guilty pleas, Rangel did not say why he shot Grimaldo.

When 4th Judicial District Judge Greg Werner asked Rangel why he was pleading guilty, he replied: "I fired a gun into a car and it ended up in Anthony ‘Michael' Grimaldo."

Several El Paso County sheriff's deputies were in the courtroom Thursday, separating the two families. Tensions flared before the hearing when a Grimaldo family member looked at the Rangel family members. Rangel's girlfriend then started yelling in the courtroom.

Werner warned the families they would be asked to leave if there were any more outbursts.

The shooting happened in the parking lot of JW's Liquors, 319 S. Hancock Ave., hours after a rap concert dubbed "Memorial Day Gone Wild." About 1,500 attended the concert, and more than 20 officers were called in to quell fights and check reports of guns being fired.

At an earlier court hearing, Colorado Springs police testified Rangel, who uses the street name "Sneak," admitted he was a member of the Bloods street gang.

Grimaldo's family has said he was not in a gang.

Investigators recovered a .45-caliber Smith and Wesson semiautomatic they said was used to kill Grimaldo.

The deal came after Werner forced prosecutors to the mediation table in front of a senior district judge last month. Rangel was scheduled to stand trail Sept. 29.

Deputy District Attorney Terry Sample declined to comment after the hearing. Grimaldo's family said they didn't want to talk until after Rangel is sentenced.

Rangel is being held without bond at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center.