Affidavit: Witness accounts differ on whether shooting of Springs teen was intentional
An affidavit for a man who faces second degree attempted murder charges in the shooting of a Springs 14-year-old says witnesses agree the suspect was directly involved in the shooting, but not on whether it was intentional.
Colorado Springs Police say Jerry Hernandez Jr., 18, turned himself in at the Criminal Justice Center around 9 p.m. Monday (8/3/15). He’s accused of shooting a 14-year-old boy last week. The victim was last reported in critical condition at Children’s Hospital in Denver.
The shooting happened on July 30, 2015 at the Pine Creek Village Apartments in the 700 block of Chapman Drive, near S. Academy Blvd. and Airport Road.
The arrest affidavit, which was released Tuesday, says that police interviewed several witnesses and all agreed that Hernandez was either holding the gun or struggling for control of the gun when it went off, hitting the victim in the neck.
The document says one witness told police that Hernandez had a “mean face” when he pulled the trigger.
Another witness said Hernandez and the victim were fighting over a gun when it went off.
The affidavit says a third witness told police that the victim told Hernandez not to point the gun at him because it was loaded, and Hernandez replied that he knew it was loaded. That witness says that’s when the gun accidentally went off.
The affidavit says that Hernandez was initially interviewed about the incident on July 31. It says Hernandez said he was standing outside when he heard a gunshot and that he ran inside to see the victim bleeding from the chest. It says Hernandez told the detective that he applied pressure to the wound until someone else took over, and then he left.
The witness stories, as described in the court papers, suggest that the victim was the first person to introduce a gun to the situation and that he may have been shot with his own gun.
The night of the shooting, neighbors told KRDO NewsChannel 13 gun violence is a problem in the neighborhood.
“It’s really bad. It’s not infrequent for police to be here. It’s not infrequent for there to be shootings, stabbings. It’s not uncommon to have prostitution going on, sale of meth. At least one hand grenade,” said neighbor Sue Bell.
“I think it’s really sad, I hate to hear it,” said neighbor Samantha Whechel.
Another neighbor said the gun’s owner should be held accountable for letting it get into the hands of a teen.
“That should not ever happen, not in this day in age,” said neighbor Anthony Hingst. “It’s kind of depressing, a 14-year-old guy playing with a gun or what not, whatever happened, it’s just ridiculous that some people can’t handle their firearms properly.”
