A city council member from Mountain View, Colorado, was taken to jaill after shooting a 17-year-old boy.
Brian Metz, 38, was arrested on September 10 for shooting the boy in the face after what appears to be a misunderstanding about potential trespassing. Neither the victim nor any of the friends with him have been identified publicly. The incident took place in Conifer, Colorado.
The teen who was shot in the face survived, and was able to talk to police afterward. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, but there is no word on the extent of his injuries.
The shooting appears to have been sparked by miscommunication about what would have been an innocent set of circumstances. The teen, along with another unnamed teen boy, said he was driving around looking for a picturesque spot in which to take photographs for an upcoming school dance.
According to the boys, they drove up to a gated community that had houses that looked like a good background for the photos. Hoping to get permission to take pictures from one of the homeowners, the boys knocked at one door but got no answer. They said they went back to their car to write a note to leave for the homeowner when a bullet pierced the windshield and hit the 17-year-old in the face.
Unbeknownst to the two boys, a woman who owned a house in the community called Brent Metz to report that there appeared to be trespassers at his girlfriend’s house in the gated community. Since the boys jumped the fence to get to the house and talk to the owner, that action may have convinced the woman they were up to no good.
Metz then drove up and allegedly shot the boy. Details are sketchy, but the victim apparently told police that he did not think Metz shot him intentionally as he heard Metz say, “Oh, sh*t, my gun went off.”
According to an arrest affidavit, Metz tried to help the boy he shot, but the boy’s friend shoved him away asking why he had fired his gun.
Metz was charged with assault, felony menacing, illegal firearm discharge, and reckless endangerment. He was booked with a $5,000 bond and released on September 11 pending further court action.
