A 13-year-old boy in Denver, Colorado, has been taken into custody in connection with the death of 60-year-old Richard Sanchez, who was shot following a disagreement on a public bus.
The altercation reportedly originated from Sanchez’s leg obstructing the bus aisle, eventually escalating to the shooting.
At 6:41 p.m. on January 27, 2024, officers from the Denver Police Department were dispatched to a shooting incident on a bus operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD). The bus was near the intersection of South Federal Boulevard and West Mississippi Avenue, roughly three miles from Empower Field at Mile High.
Upon arrival, Sanchez was found suffering from a gunshot wound. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
During the incident, another individual sustained minor injuries but was treated at the scene, according to the police.
The 13-year-old suspect was apprehended on suspicion of first-degree murder on February 1, less than one week following the incident. The Denver District Attorney’s Office is expected to make a decision on charges shortly.
Joseph Chavez, Sanchez’s grandson, expressed to the media the family’s deep sense of loss. Stating that the death felt surreal, Chavez described his grandfather as a joyful individual.
“I was truly devastated. It’s incomprehensible to me that this could happen to someone so genuine,” expressed Chavez.
Chavez described the events that unfolded as challenging, noting the family was uninformed about Sanchez’s location until they discovered he had been in the hospital without their awareness. “He was alone in his final moments,” Chavez stated.
Sanchez’s family disclosed to reporters that they were not informed about his death until they lodged a missing person report with the police several days later.
In the wake of the arrest, concerns about the safety of Denver’s public transportation have been raised. RTD records indicate that more than 178 passengers reported assaults or injuries while using transit services in 2021 and the early part of 2022.
