Teen sentenced in trailhead shooting

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A man has been sentenced for his role in a 2023 Boulder County shooting that injured two teens.

Josue Hernandez-Gonzalez, 19, pled guilty to attempted second-degree murder in August. He was sentenced to five years in the Youth Offender System on Friday, according to court documents. He was also given a suspended sentence of 15 years in prison followed by three years of parole. He will not have to serve that suspended sentence if he successfully completes his sentence in the Youth Offender System. 

Hernandez-Gonzalez was 17 at the time of the shooting. 

“Although this juvenile was not the shooter, he played a key role in this attempted murder case,” Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said. “Our office has worked closely with the victims. They are lucky to be alive. Given this young man’s role in the shooting, he will remain in custody for five years with the Youthful Offender System. Hopefully, he is able to get his life on track. If not, he will be sentenced to an additional fifteen years in state prison.”

Josue Hernandez-Gonzalez’s codefendant, 23-year-old Jafet Hernandez-Gonzalez, pleaded guilty in October to attempted second-degree murder.

The shooting happened on Flagstaff Road in unincorporated Boulder County in the early morning hours of May 13, 2023. The male victims were 17 and 18 at the time of the shooting. They were shot from a passing vehicle as they were standing outside a parked vehicle at the Crown Rock Trailhead, a City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks property.

One of the victims was driving on Flagstaff Road with a group of other juveniles in the vehicle when he crashed into a guardrail, according to an arrest affidavit from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

The vehicle was not drivable so the group began walking. Someone saw the group and thought it was odd so they called 911. 

One of the girls who had been in the car called a friend to pick her up and she reported that Jafet came with that friend and was driving, the affidavit says. She reported that one of the victims also tried to get in Jafet’s vehicle but was told he could not get in. 

According to the girl, the victim hit the hood of the car and claimed he had a glock. They left and she reported that Jafet was upset by the victim’s comments and made statements about going back to shoot the victim. She said the others stayed behind waiting for additional rides.

Before deputies arrived the rest of the group was picked up by one of the victim’s uncle, the affidavit says. However, there were too many people to fit in the car so he drove to a nearby trailhead to wait for additional rides, according to the document.

When deputies responded they located the crashed vehicle unoccupied. As they investigated that scene, a Dodge Charger passed them at a high speed, the affidavit says. That vehicle was later located at a King Soopers store by Boulder Police where it was discovered that one of the occupants had a gunshot wound. 

Investigators interviewed the occupants of the Charger. They learned that when they got to the trailhead parking lot most of the occupants got out of the vehicle to wait for additional rides.

As they waited, a vehicle went past them, turned around and drove past them again, the affidavit says. When they passed the second time, shots were fired from the vehicle, according to the document.

Both wounded victims got into the Charger. They were headed to a hospital when their vehicle was contacted by police at the King Soopers.

At the time, the 17-year-old victim had a serious leg injury that required surgery, according to the sheriff’s office, while the 18-year-old victim had a minor injury.

Using data from a license plate reader, investigators responded to an address of a vehicle that was driving in the area of the shooting. They spoke with someone at the home who told investigators that Jafet told him he had shot someone, according to the affidavit.

Investigators also contacted Jafet’s girlfriend at the time, who also reported that he told her he had shot someone. She said Jafet told her that he told the victim he could not get in his car and that the victim pointed a gun at him, the affidavit says.

She said she later searched for news reports and when she read about the shooting, she knew Jafet was telling the truth.

Jafet Hernandez-Gonzalez is set to be sentenced Dec. 17.