A juvenile was shot and hospitalized Saturday afternoon after a confrontation turned violent in the parking lot of a Dollar Tree store in Longmont, and the man police say pulled the trigger remains on the run. The shooting happened around 2:45 p.m. in the 2200 block of Main Street, according to Longmont police.
Police say the shooting stemmed from a confrontation between a man and a juvenile male, according to CBS News. Officers reported that the juvenile picked up a weapon during the altercation, after which the suspect pulled out a firearm and fired multiple rounds, striking the youth at least once. One person was taken to the hospital following the shooting, according to FOX31 Denver.
As of Sunday, the shooting suspect remained at large. The station's report notes that Longmont police are asking anyone with information to contact officers or call the department's tip line at 303-774-3700.
A String of Violent Incidents in Longmont
Saturday's shooting adds to a run of high-profile violence in Longmont this year. Just over a month earlier, on August 10, Longmont police officers fatally shot a 20-year-old man in the 2300 block of Bluebird Drive after he took a victim hostage during a domestic disturbance call, according to the Denver Gazette.
That was the city's second fatal shooting since March, when Hoodline previously reported that a juvenile was killed and another youth was detained in a separate gun incident. Longmont has also seen youth gun violence in years past — police arrested a 19-year-old suspect in connection with a drive-by shooting near a basketball court at Kensington Street and St. Clair Avenue that killed a 13-year-old boy and injured a 15-year-old, according to 9News.
State Law and Local Crime Context
Colorado's legal landscape around firearms has shifted this year. On July 1, Colorado House Bill 26-1144 took effect statewide, prohibiting the use of a 3D printer to make firearms or components, according to the Colorado House Democrats.
The available Sawyer Legal Group material does not specify the legal consequences for a minor who possesses a handgun. It remains unknown what type of weapon the juvenile picked up during Saturday's confrontation.
Citywide, Longmont's violent crime rate and annual number of violent offenses are not specified in the available information.
Youth Diversion and Emergency Resources
The Longmont Police Department partners with the BRITE Collaborative, formerly known as the Longmont Community Justice Partnership, according to the BRITE Collaborative. Available information here does not describe the REWIND program's eligibility or process.
Information about Children's Hospital Colorado's North Campus in Broomfield and its services is not provided here. The suspect's identity and description, along with the juvenile victim's current medical condition, have not been released.
