The 17-year-old male suspected of firing the rounds during a fight that caused chaos during Cortez’s Independence Day fireworks show was found guilty on Oct. 2.
The juvenile appeared via Webex from Grand Mesa Youth Services in Grand Junction, where he has been held since July 5.
He was held without bail with the charges of felony menacing, reckless endangerment, juvenile possession of a firearm and possession of a defaced firearm, according to District Attorney Christian Hatfield.
The juvenile was sentenced to 24 months of probation, as he has no prior criminal record. Furse said there was a possibility of earlier termination, if the probation department decides it is appropriate later on.
“Considering the gravity of the offense at hand and the community risk that was accomplished when you fired the shots in the air and came to the park armed, I think it constitutes a longer probationary sentence than I would normally give,” Furse said. “It is my hope that you finish that early and successfully, but I want to give you as much time as you might need to utilize those resources.”
He will also serve five days of detention, with credit for time served. He was released Oct. 2 to live with his father in Grand Junction. His mother is reportedly in rehab in New Mexico.
The teen was “apologetic, and expressed his regret to the community, saying that he knew he had made a poor decision firing the gun when the fight broke out.
Around 9:30 p.m. July 4 in Parque de Vida, shots rang out as families and members celebrated Independence Day with the annual fireworks show.
The gunshots came from the area of the skate park, and according to witnesses, were fired by a “skinny, tall, Native American male” when a fight broke out. After he fired the shots, he ran toward Taco Bell.
One witness, James Morris, told police that he and a few others tried to pursue the shooter, but lost sight of him.
Bryce Baumgarten told police he wasn’t able to grab the suspect because he was trying to protect his family. He said he thought the shooter might have had a 9 mm handgun.
Another, Amanda Tulio, said a group of people tripped the shooter, but he regained his footing and got away. She told police that he was staring right at her as he pulled the gun from his waistband and fired into the air.
The juvenile was reportedly under the care of his aunt, but he was arrested at a different Cortez home. He was taken to Grand Junction soon after.
During the investigation, police found a gun that they believe had been used in the shooting, but noted that the gun’s serial number had been scratched off.
