Man Charged With First-Degree Murder After Pueblo Days Inn Shooting

Pueblo police say detectives arrested 63-year-old James McKenney on first-degree murder charges after a deadly shooting at the Days Inn at 4201 N. Elizabeth Street that left one man dead on the evening of Feb. 7.

Officers were dispatched to the hotel just after 6:30 p.m. and arrived at about 6:34 p.m., where they found a male gunshot victim who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the shooting followed an argument that escalated; detectives have interviewed witnesses as part of the ongoing investigation, Pueblo Police Department officials said.

Investigators arrested McKenney following their initial findings and booked him into the Pueblo County jail. Local reporting indicated McKenney was being held without bond as of Feb. 9, and his first appearance in Pueblo District Court is scheduled for Feb. 23. Police have not disclosed whether the arrest occurred at the hotel or at another location.

The Pueblo County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 39-year-old Joshua Charles Herbert, a release that followed notification of next of kin. Some reporting noted the victim died from his injuries before officers reached the scene; other accounts said officers found the man and he was pronounced dead at the location.

This homicide is the first recorded in the city of Pueblo for 2026. City records show there had been no homicides through the same point in 2025, underscoring how a single violent incident can shift local crime statistics and community concern.

For residents and hotel guests, the case is a reminder that disputes in public spaces can quickly escalate to deadly violence and that investigations in such cases move quickly. Pueblo Police detectives and crime scene teams continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses; officials have tied McKenney’s arrest to investigative findings rather than releasing additional details about motive, weapon type, or the exact sequence of events inside or outside the hotel.

The booking and court calendar mean the criminal case will soon enter the court system, where charging documents and initial hearings should provide more specifics about the allegations. The coroner’s identification and police statements close some early questions about who was involved, but many details remain unresolved, including whether anyone else was hurt, whether the defendant and victim knew one another, and the precise location within the hotel where the shooting occurred. Authorities describe the investigation as ongoing and the situation may be updated as more information becomes available.