Victims in Brent Metz case in Colorado say lengthy judicial process has taken a toll

After a Colorado jury reached a split verdict in the case against Brent Metz on Monday, the two teenage victims spoke about the case in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Jack and Luke (CBS Colorado is not using their last names) say the judicial process has taken a toll on them but they're glad a verdict is behind them.

"Think we were pretty happy about it," said Jack, the victim who has recovered well physically from being shot in the face.

Metz was found guilty of assault in the third degree for the shooting, which happened outside his property in 2024 when Jack sat in a car after he and his friend Luke had tried to ask permission to take homecoming photos on the property in the Conifer area.

"It's been a long process. I'm happy we're getting close to the end," Jack said.

But it has been difficult. It took close to two years for the case to come to trial.

"I was very stressed out about the whole thing. It was a lot," Jack said about the verdict. He said in addition to himself, the case has taken "a big toll on ... everyone around me."

 The jury also found Metz guilty of illegal discharge of a firearm, but acquitted him on menacing charges.  

Luke -- now 17, but 15 at the time of the shooting -- was a key witness in the trial for the prosecution. He told of how Metz, a former town councilman in Mountain View, got out of his truck in 2024 and pointed the gun at them as they sat in the car writing a note to the homeowner, who turned out to be Metz.

"For me personally, I'm shocked that the 2nd degree charge was dropped down to a 3rd degree," he said of the assault conviction.

Attorneys for Metz attempted to show that Luke's memory was faulty and he didn't properly recall what happened. They tried to convince the jury that Metz never pointed the gun at the teenagers.

"We don't measure this as a win of a loss. There was a conviction. We were adamant that Mr. Metz was not guilty of all of the crimes that were charged, so we're not happy with that," said defense attorney Christopher Decker.

They planned to ask for a new trial or appeal, claiming the jury's finding of guilty of illegal discharge of a weapon includes elements that contradict the first count of the charges, the third-degree assault conviction. That conviction indicates Metz was negligent, but not reckless, said the attorneys. The weapons charge, however, does carry the conclusion of recklessness.

"We're struggling to understand how it could not be reckless in count one, but he knowingly or recklessly in count four," said defense attorney David Jones.

The defense made its case in court claiming the shooting was not the fault of Metz, but of the weapon he had, a Sig Sauer P320, which they claimed was defective and could fire "un-commanded."

They believe the jury's verdict left room for making that conclusion.

The negligence they believed is, "A far different thing than knowingly or purposefully discharging the firearm. They can find him negligent and agree that the firearm was a part of it. That the defectiveness of the firearm was part of it. Just by the way he handled it."

The victims, meanwhile, credit their faith and the support of the community in getting through all of what they've had to deal with since the shooting. Jack told the court after the shooting he still has some trouble with his eyesight.

Luke talked about the support around them.

"Having people from the community reach out and just seeing how much the people do care about this and having people wondering if we're OK, reach out to mutual people that we both know, just trying to check on us has really meant a lot," said Luke.

They declined to comment on whether the justice system has worked for them. But their friendship clearly had.

"I think that it has always been a huge value for both of us. There's never been a time in either of our lives we weren't friends. And I think at the end of the day just understanding this whole process and going through this together only brought us closer," Luke said before they headed off to get ice cream.

Metz is scheduled for sentencing in two weeks. He could get 1-3 years for the illegal discharge of a firearm charge and up to a year in a county jail for the assault charge. But there's no requirement of jail time and could get probation, the defense believes.