Two teens arrested in shooting death of Cheyenne girl

CHEYENNE - Two teen boys have been arrested in connection with the April 30 shooting death of a 15-year-old local girl in a south Cheyenne park.

Cheyenne Police Department detectives, working with the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, arrested a 17-year-old boy on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. A 16-year-old boy was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and aiding and abetting first-degree murder, according to a CPD news release sent out Tuesday evening.

Both teens arrested in connection with the shooting also were from Cheyenne, according to CPD public information officer Alexandra Farkas, who could not identify them. They were booked into the Laramie County jail on Tuesday without incident.

Farkas told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that she couldn't release many details about the incident in Lincoln Park, other than that "deputies do believe it was an isolated incident," meaning it wasn't a random, drive-by shooting. The park is located at 315 E. Eighth St., just east of the city-owned and operated Johnson Pool, an outdoor facility that is open in the summer but hasn't opened yet this year.

During their investigation, detectives learned that a large group of people - which included friends and family members of the victim - were playing basketball together at the park around 12:23 a.m., according to the news release. Witnesses told detectives that, at that time, an SUV passed by the park, traveling westbound on East Seventh Street.

As the vehicle drove by, multiple shots were fired, then the SUV fled from the scene, the release said. The victim, who has not been identified, received a gunshot wound to the head. She was declared dead the following day.

When asked to address the nature of the incident and the circumstances that led to it, Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco said there wasn't much he could share Tuesday evening, either.

"I'm pretty hesitant to get into anything factual about the case, since it's in the DA's hands now," Francisco said. "But I can say we don't believe it was a random attack.The details, I'm sure, will come out in due time."

Laramie County District Attorney Sylvia Hackl will decide whether to prosecute the teen boys as juveniles or adults.

Meanwhile, Farkas said, the investigation is ongoing, and additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

This story was published on May 10, 2023.