DENVER, CO – A 13-year-old boy from Denver is facing charges as a juvenile for first-degree murder and other serious offenses, following a fatal shooting incident on a public bus. The victim, a man, was allegedly shot by the teenager after an argument over a blocked aisle on the bus, according to the prosecutors’ statement on Thursday.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office is currently deliberating on whether the boy should be prosecuted as an adult. This decision, however, lies in the hands of a judge, as stated by Maro Casparian, the office spokesperson. The identity of the boy remains undisclosed due to his minor status.
The incident unfolded on a bus in southwest Denver on January 27. Police investigations revealed that a verbal altercation between the teenager and a 60-year-old man escalated into a shooting. A second individual on the bus sustained minor injuries during the incident.
The Denver Post first reported the charges against the boy. Apart from first-degree murder, he faces two different types of charges. One alleges that he committed the murder after careful consideration, and the other accuses him of showing extreme indifference to human life.
The boy is also charged with assault, endangering a public transport crew, both felonies, and possession of a firearm as a minor, a misdemeanor.