Donnell Chess Identified As Suspect In Palmer Park Shooting; Victim Identified

A suspect linked to the death of a 20-year-old male has been apprehended by detectives from the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).

In the early hours of Sunday, May 7, officers from the Colorado Springs Police Department were present in the vicinity of the 2700 Block of Palmer Park.

At approximately 1:34 a.m., the officers reportedly heard the sound of several gunshots emanating from the parking lot.

According to officers, a dark-colored sedan was observed leaving the area, prompting a pursuit that was later terminated.

Upon revisiting the location, law enforcement officials discovered the lifeless body of a grown man and a grown woman experiencing injuries caused by gunfire. A woman was taken to a hospital due to injuries that were not life-threatening.

In the early hours of the same night, at approximately 2 a.m., the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) disclosed that an additional adult male had entered a hospital, seeking medical attention for gunshot wounds that were not considered life-threatening. The investigation was taken over by detectives from the Violent Crimes Homicide Unit.

A 21-year-old man named Donnell Chess has been issued an arrest warrant by detectives in connection with the homicide of a male victim on the same day.

On Monday, May 8, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy on a deceased individual and confirmed his identity as Ja’Lyn Tyre Lagrue, a 20-year-old resident of Colorado Springs.

The Coroner’s Office is currently determining the official cause and manner of Lagrue’s death, which is now being investigated as a homicide.

Donnell Chess was arrested without incident by detectives from the Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force (VOFTF) on the same day.