A 13-year-old, arraigned for shooting a man on a Denver bus, reportedly released a handgun during a conflict that came when the man approached the teen and his friends at the back of the bus, according to court evidence released on Thursday.
Originally, police had mentioned a "verbal exchange" over the man's leg blocking the hallway between the teen and 60-year-old Richard Sanchez on January 27.
13-Year-Old Shoots Man on Bus
Based on surveillance footage and witness accounts, the testimony for the 13-year-old's apprehension admitted that Sanchez had exchanged words with three adolescents upon their bus entry.
The situation escalated as they crossed over or stepped over his legs to reach the rear of the bus. Once the teen occupied a raised seat at the back, Sanchez approached, leading to a verbal altercation.
The teen then retrieved a handgun from a sweatshirt and fired seven shots.
Following the shooting, the 13-year-old and two other juveniles exited the bus, stepping over the collapsed Sanchez near the back door.
Another juvenile, seemingly armed, pointed what looked like a handgun at Sanchez on the floor during their exit, as per the affidavit.
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An online fundraiser organized by Sanchez's family revealed that he was en route to his daughters and grandsons when the incident occurred.
The affidavit's release coincided with the confirmation of first-degree murder charges against the teen in juvenile court.
The Denver District Attorney's Office is contemplating whether to seek adult prosecution, a decision subject to judicial determination.
The juvenile's identity remains undisclosed, and the charges include various first-degree murder allegations, assault, endangering a public transport crew, and juvenile gun possession.
The arrest affidavit, redacted in parts, occasionally obscures references to the specific juvenile.
It took several days for the police to locate them, aided by prior contact with at least one juvenile and assistance from school administrators using surveillance images for identification.
Police have Reported the Incident
Denver police reported that a 13-year-old boy supposedly shot and killed a 60-year-old man on a bus because the man's leg was obstructing the lane.
The boy was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon on suspicion of first-degree crime, as stated in a news issued by the Denver Police Department on Friday.
The occurrence continued when officers responded to a shooting on a Transdev bus near the junction of South Federal Boulevard and West Mississippi Avenue at 6:41 p.m. on Saturday.
The casualty, known as Richard Sanchez, was found with a gunshot cut and was afterwards transferred to a local hospital, where he was proclaimed dead.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner determined that Sanchez's death resulted from numerous gunshot wounds, describing it as a homicide.
According to Denver police, the inspector believes that the boy engaged in a "verbal exchange" with Sanchez regarding the man's leg blocking the bus hallway, leading to the shooting.
A second individual injured in the occurrence received on-site cure and did not need hospitalization, as cited in a consequent news release by the department.
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