Thomas James Rushing, 14, male, died in Lafayette, Colorado, on February 21, 2021. In the very early hours that Sunday, he was driven by private vehicle to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he succumbed to a gunshot wound after police were dispatched at approximately 1:07 a.m. Officers learned key details at the hospital that would guide them to the scene connected to the shooting.
Detectives followed those leads to a residence in the 400 block of West Oak Street, a neighborhood just off Baseline Road and Highway 287. What they found pointed to an accidental shooting inside the home earlier in the evening. During the investigation, officers identified a juvenile involved; that youth and the parents were cooperative with authorities.
Within two days, police announced that a juvenile suspect had been arrested on a manslaughter charge, booked, and released to the suspect’s parents as the case continued. News accounts at the time emphasized the accidental nature of the shooting while confirming the charge and the suspect’s juvenile status.
The Boulder County Coroner publicly identified the victim as Thomas Rushing, and funeral records from a local provider confirmed his death on the same date at the same hospital, aligning with the police timeline. Memorial listings later collected the coverage and obituaries into one place for the community.
Authorities described the case as ongoing in the immediate aftermath and did not release further details about additional suspects beyond the single juvenile who was arrested, with no public indication of any broader threat or a search for others connected to the incident.
