Fatal shooting outside apartment was self-defense after robbery

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The shooting that killed 41-year-old Vencenzio Luciano in early October was a result of self-defense, according to Colorado Springs police investigators and the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

The shooting happened on the morning of Oct. 4 near an apartment complex in the 2500 block of Hancock Expressway. Officers found Luciano dead near the sidewalk.

According to an update from the Colorado Springs Police Department on Wednesday, investigators tracked down a suspect who was already in custody for unrelated warrants. Police later found out that Luciano had attempted to rob the shooter with a handgun just before the shooting happened. The handgun ended up being a BB gun that was “fashioned to resemble a semi-automatic handgun.”

Police say they took the information to the District Attorney’s Office, and the charges against the shooter were dismissed on Wednesday. Police said the shooter’s name won’t be released in this case.