In the winter of 2023, a tragedy unfolded in Denver, Colorado, that ended the life of 12-year-old Elias Alexander Armstrong. On the evening of February 5th, Armstrong and a group of friends were involved in the theft of an Audi from a shopping center. The car's owner, Jack Reed, a 35-year-old man, discovered his vehicle was missing and utilized a GPS tracking application on his phone to pursue it.
Reed tracked the stolen Audi and eventually confronted the occupants.
A shootout ensued between Reed and the individuals in the car. During this exchange of gunfire, Elias Armstrong, who was in the driver's seat, was fatally wounded. After the shooting, Armstrong managed to drive the car a couple of blocks before collapsing on a sidewalk, where he succumbed to his injuries. The other individuals who were in the car with Armstrong fled the scene on foot before police arrived.
Law enforcement's investigation into the incident involved reviewing surveillance footage from a nearby youth center, which captured a man running towards the stolen car. Police informed Armstrong's family that the man fired 15 rounds into the vehicle. Jack Reed later stated that he was shot at first and returned fire in self-defense, expressing that he was unaware a child was in the car. The Denver District Attorney's Office ultimately decided not to file criminal charges against Reed, citing that they could not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt due to the claims of self-defense. This decision has been met with distress by Armstrong's family.
