ALAMOSA — A second victim has died from his wounds that were a result of the June 23 shooting that took place at the Sunset Inn on West 8th Avenue in Alamosa. Although the victim’s name is circulating throughout the community, his identity is not expected to be officially released by the Alamosa County Coroner until Friday, July 5.
Henry Corral, 44, was originally charged with one count of suspicion of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder along with other felonies for his alleged involvement in the shooting.
Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly confirmed with the Valley Courier that the death of a second man will change those charges to two counts of suspicion of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder in addition to tampering with physical evidence, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and criminal attempt of aggravated robbery.
An updated report on the status of the third victim of the shooting, who has been identified as Manuel Flores, 43, is not available at this time, but the latest from the Alamosa Police Department is that Flores was in serious but stable condition.
The first victim who died from his wounds on the way to the hospital was identified as Aurelio Piña, 61, of Texas.
Shortly after 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, June 23, officers with the Alamosa Police Department were dispatched to the Sunset Inn, 1310 W. 8th St., on a report of shots fired. When they arrived on scene, they found three people who had been shot.
Corral, named as the suspect by one of the victims, fled the scene in a Chevrolet Avalanche, heading south-southwest out of Alamosa to County Road 106 and the 12 South. Corral, who was driving at a high rate of speed, crashed the vehicle and then allegedly attempted to hijack the car of a person who had stopped to help.
When that effort was unsuccessful, Corral is believed to have set fire to the vehicle he was driving after which he fled on foot, resulting in a 14-hour manhunt. At the height of the search, up to 80 law enforcement officers were involved from agencies across the Valley and beyond, including Alamosa Police Department, Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office, Alamosa Fire Department, Monte Vista Police Department, Adams State Police Department, Conejos County Sheriff, Chaffee County Sheriff SWAT, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Fugitive Task Force, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, BLM Rangers, US Forest Service Rangers, and the US Marshals.
Corral was taken into custody after an alert citizen reported the presence of a man who fit Corral’s description in the area.
The cause of the altercation is still under investigation. Meanwhile, Corral is being held in the Alamosa County Detention Center on a $5 million bond.
