In the quiet community of Towaoc, Colorado, on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, a devastating act of violence shattered the night of December 11, 2024. Seven-year-old Zamias Harold Lang, a male described as a bright and loving child, was tragically killed in a targeted shooting at his home. The incident unfolded just after midnight as Zamias slept in his bed. His father, Zackieus Lang, was beside him when their residence was riddled with 24 bullets fired from an assault-style rifle.
One of these shots fatally wounded the young boy.
In the days that followed the harrowing event, law enforcement identified 23-year-old Jeremiah Hight, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, as the primary suspect. According to witnesses, Hight had previously made threats to 'shoot up Zackieus Lang's house.' A federal arrest warrant was subsequently issued for Hight, charging him with second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. The gravity of the situation prompted the FBI to offer a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
After a manhunt that lasted several days, Jeremiah Hight was apprehended on December 24, 2024. He was located on a mesa west of Oljato, Utah, on the Navajo Nation Reservation, and taken into custody without incident by the Navajo Police Department's K-9 Unit and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Hight is now awaiting transfer to Colorado to face the federal charges against him. The community, deeply shaken by the senseless loss of a child, came together to support the grieving family, raising over $26,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses. Funeral services for Zamias were held on December 18, 2024, at the Towaoc Recreation Center, followed by his interment at the Towaoc Cemetery.
