DENVER — A teenager scouting a spot near a Colorado lake this weekend to take scenic photos of his homecoming was shot in the face when the friend of the property owner fired his gun and yelled, “Oh sh__, my gun went off,” court documents show.
The 17-year-old boy survived the shooting and told investigators he did not believe the man had intentionally shot him. But the man who shot him, Brent Metz, a city councilman in a small Denver metropolitan town, was arrested on charges including first-degree assault.
Metz did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A phone number and attorney for Metz could not immediately be found. He is a councilman in the city of Mountain View.
The victim’s friend told investigators that they climbed over the fence to ask the homeowners for permission to take photos over the coming weekend. They knocked on the door and looked around to no avail, but then went back to their car to write a note to the homeowner.
Around that time, Metz received a call from his girlfriend, the owner of the property, who said there were trespassers, according to police. Metz drove to the property while the two boys were in their car.
Metz got out of his truck and pointed a gun at the two boys, firing through the windshield, the teens told police. The shot left one of the boys bleeding profusely from his face, with part of his mouth missing, while his friend ran around the car and used his shirt to stop the bleeding, the friend told investigators.
Metz tried to help them, but the friend said he pushed Metz away.
A scan at the hospital showed a possible bullet fragment still lodged in the teen’s head, according to court records. Metz was arrested on charges of first-degree assault, criminal threatening, illegal discharge of a firearm and reckless endangerment.