Man arrested for shooting death of ‘bright and loving’ boy, 7, on Colorado reservation
A Native American man has been arrested for the fatal shooting of a seven-year-old boy on a Colorado reservation.
Jeremiah Hight, 23, of the Ute Mountain Tribe, was taken into custody on Christmas Eve in connection with the December 11 shooting of Zamias Lang at his home on the Ute Mountain Reservation, the independent reports.
Tribal Chairman Manuel Heart called the shooting ‘senseless’ in a video message after the early morning shooting, when he announced Lang’s death.
“It is with a sad heart and spirit that I would like to make a special announcement today regarding the event that occurred last night, the loss of an innocent child who left early to return home to our Creator,” he said in the message that was posted on Facebook.
“Last night’s event was senseless. An adult has made the decision to do something to harm another person. This person was a child.
“We ask our tribe members and family members not to retaliate as some people have said,” Heart added.
‘Someone may have said that I am going to do this, I ask you to hold on for a moment. Let’s go through the process we put in place through our legal system.
“We need to support the family, the father, the mother, the grandparents and all the relatives far and wide and help them get through this, especially at this time of year when it is the holidays.”
Jeremiah Hight, 23, of the Ute Mountain Tribe, was taken into custody on Christmas Eve in connection with the Dec. 11 shooting of Zamias Lang at his home on the Ute Mountain Reservation
Lang was remembered in an online fundraiser as ‘a smart and loving seven-year-old’
A An online fundraising campaign has been set up in the aftermath to help Lang’s family, which raised more than $26,000.
“Our community was shocked to its core when Zamias Lang, a bright and loving seven-year-old, was taken from us far too soon,” it said.
“He was the victim of senseless gun violence and left behind family, friends and a community that loved him dearly.”
‘Rest in peace, Zamias. Your life was important, and your memory will never be forgotten.”
A motive for the shooting remains unclear and Hight’s arrest warrant was sealed.
But police had been searching for Hight in the Oljato area since Dec. 21, with a $10,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest.
Hight is now in federal custody. He was arrested without incident.