A Colorado town council member, Brent Metz, 38, is facing charges after allegedly shooting a teenager in the face. The incident occurred on Tuesday when two teenagers were on Metz’s property, intending to ask permission to use the location for a high school homecoming photo shoot, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that they received an emergency call about trespassers on Metz’s property. Upon arrival, deputies found two cars parked near the property. As they approached, they noticed a young male with severe facial injuries. Another teenager was attempting to stem the bleeding with a T-shirt. Metz was present at the scene with the two boys.
The injured teenager informed the deputy that Metz had shot him through the windshield of his car, causing the facial injuries. The Sheriff’s Office further stated that the teenagers had tried to contact Metz after considering his property as a potential location for their homecoming photos.
The victim, before being transported to the hospital, told the deputy that they had driven to the property to ask for permission to take photos. They parked at the gate, jumped the fence, and walked up the driveway to speak to the homeowner. Finding no one at home, they walked around the property in search of the homeowner but were unsuccessful. They then returned to their car to write a note to the homeowner asking for permission to use the property.
It was at this point that Metz allegedly fired at them. According to the Sheriff’s Office, an unknown man, later identified as Metz, pulled up next to them, got out of his truck, and fired a shot through the windshield, hitting the 17-year-old driver in the face. The weapon was later found in Metz’s truck. The injured teenager was still in the hospital as of Wednesday.
The Colorado Sun reported that one of the teenagers told law enforcement that Metz exclaimed, “My gun went off!” after the shooting. The Sheriff’s Office told local Fox affiliate KDVR that the boys were not trespassing when Metz allegedly shot at them.
Jacki Kelley, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, stated that the boys were on a public roadway, not on Metz’s property, when the shooting occurred. She indicated that the boys would likely not be charged as there was no malicious intent or intent to commit crimes when they entered the property.
Metz, a member of the Mountain View Town Council whose term is set to end in 2027, was charged with assault, felony menacing, illegal discharge of a firearm, and reckless endangerment. As of Thursday afternoon, jail records did not list Metz as being in custody. He has a court hearing scheduled for Sept. 17.