Recent street racing meetups in southeast Colorado Springs have erupted into gunfire, causing some injuries and prompting law enforcement investigation.

Most recently, a shooting at a meet-up in late September injured a juvenile.

The incident occurred in the 3000 block of South Academy Boulevard near Hancock Expressway at about 12:20 a.m. on Sept. 22, police said at the time.

Earlier in the summer on Aug. 3, during another street racer meet in the same location, a vehicle pulled into a parking lot and at least one occupant opened fire before people from several vehicles began shooting at each other, according to police.

One person suffered a leg wound during the gunfire exchange and was taken by “private auto” to a nearby hospital, police said.

During the Aug. 3 incident, law enforcement confirmed to The Gazette that a stray bullet hit the KFC restaurant off Academy and Hancock but that it was overnight during its closed hours. Police are still investigating the incident, and no arrests have been made at this time.

Employees at the KFC told The Gazette they often hear and see street racers on Saturdays throughout the summer months. Typically gathering around 9 p.m., the street racers are often loud and obnoxious, impacting KFC’s business after dark.

One employee said they only get a handful of customers once the street racing meet starts and complain about not seeing police officers circulating the plaza during the races.

The Gazette reached out to other businesses open late in the area, who shared other experiences with loud cars speeding past late at night.

Doug Hatten, one of the owners of 3D’s Cigars located near Hancock Expressway and South Academy Boulevard, said that the presence of street racing has negatively impacted his business.

“We’ve had several people come and say, ‘Well, I was little concerned about coming here,’ and they see the security that we have, and they come back, they don’t have any problems,” Hatton said. “It’s just getting them there, because so many people have a negative connotation with the area.”

On the occasional Saturday, Hatton will notice that cars will congregate in the shopping center parking lot to the south of 3D’s Cigars.

“There’s probably anywhere from 100 to 200 of those little cars,” Hatton said. “They are very loud. If I was a customer pulling in at that time of night, I probably wouldn’t pull in because of seeing all of them and thinking that there would be a problem.”

If calls for service allow, patrol will monitor the meets, police said. Additionally, law enforcement works with property owners who want individuals who are trespassing removed from their property.

Lt. Jason Reeser with the traffic unit says that street racing has been going on since the 1950s in Colorado Springs. While it used to happen on remote roads, with the growth of the city, the racing now occurs in urban and commercial areas.

Steve Clark with Colorado Cars & Coffee, a small business focusing on cars and coffee events all over Colorado, sometimes see street racing “groups” post promote gatherings on his business’s social media.

“There are times when some car clubs try to post their events in our group alluding to “Meeting in Mexico,” which “is a street racing indication,” Clark said. “We turn away such events, there are so many great car events in Colorado that have no need for shenanigans.”

While Clark is not as concerned with street racing’s prevalence in the community, he does believe lawbreaking should have consequences.

“I do believe those caught should have severe penalties, to include loss of their vehicle and driving privileges,” Clark said. “As far as law enforcement, in my opinion, I’d like to see action taken where the most damage is being done, and that’s with the stolen car problem in Denver and across the Front Range.”

Clark says while he does not see complaints about street racing every day on his social media pages, he does see a lot of stolen car posts.

“There is so much negative financial impact, and mental anguish over stolen property, even if the vehicle is recovered,” Clark said. “Stolen vehicles are not a victimless crime, as stolen cars are often used in illicit activity.”

Colorado Springs police have been successful in catching several repeat offenders through a vehicular public nuisance ordinance, according to PIO Caitlin Ford.

Ford said many of the vehicles used in illicit street racing are actually owned, not stolen. However, many of these cars are purchased through loans, and one of the stipulations on the loan contract says the vehicle cannot be used in illegal activities.

The Colorado Springs City Council revised the ordinance in January of 2023 to provide additional procedural safeguards. The ordinance combines a civil process against the vehicle and criminal charges against its driver.

The process ultimately seeks to remove vehicles operated in dangerous, illegal ways from the streets while holding the driver responsible in criminal court when possible, according to a 2023 press release from the department.

Police used the ordinance to successfully remove three cars used in illegal activity from their respective owners in 2023. Ford said those three drivers have also faced charges in criminal court.

More recently, on Sept. 13, the department hosted a regional street racing deployment from 7 p.m. to midnight, focusing on speeding and DUI. This was a grant-funded joint enforcement, funded through a DUI grant and a grant to fight speeding.

“Special deployments like this aim to change driving behavior to make our roads safer,” Lt. Reeser said.

The Colorado State Patrol, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Monument PD and Fountain PD participated in the special deployment.

Over the course of the night, law enforcement issued 168 citations and arrested five individuals. Several of the citations included charges on felony eluding, reckless and careless speed and DUIs.

During the evening two motorcycles fled from Fountain police units. An air unit and State Patrol units were able to track the getaway, and both motorcyclists were ultimately put into custody and charged with felony eluding.

“Speed kills and reckless driving puts all citizens at risk due to the behavior of isolated incidents,” Reeser said.