MOUNTAIN VIEW, Colorado — A Colorado teen hoping to get permission from a homeowner to take homecoming pictures on the property instead was shot in the face, police say.
The suspected gunman, identified by police as Brent Metz, 38, is now facing charges of first-degree assault, two counts of felony menacing, illegal discharge of a firearm, and two counts of reckless endangerment, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Fox News reports Metz is a member of the town council in Mountain View.
The sheriff’s office says deputies were called to the home at 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 10. A woman who lives in the home told deputies that there were two trespassers on her property. The woman also called Metz, reportedly her boyfriend.
The 17-year-old victim tells deputies that he and a friend went to the home to see if they could get permission to take homecoming photos on the property. They reportedly parked at the gate of the home and jumped the fence, then walked up the driveway hoping to talk to the homeowner.
The boys said no one appeared to be in the home, so they walked around hoping to find the homeowner. They then went back to their car and began writing a note to leave behind, seeking permission to take pictures.
The sheriff’s office says Metz pulled up in a truck while the boys were in their vehicle writing the note, got out of his truck and fired a shot through the windshield the victim’s vehicle.
Reports say the victim’s friend was applying pressure to the wound with a T-shirt when deputies arrived. A firearm was recovered from Metz’s vehicle, the sheriff’s office says.
The boy was taken to a hospital and remained there Thursday in serious condition, reports say. Fox News reports the boys likely will not face trespassing charges because their intent was not malicious.
The Colorado Sun reports that an affidavit shows Metz might not have intended to fire when he pointed the weapon at the boys’ vehicle.
Metz was released from jail on a $5,000 bond.
