In the rural town of Yoder, Colorado, a tragic series of events unfolded within a family home, culminating in the death of six-year-old Roman Krutitskiy. The young boy, a male, was shot at his family's residence on Edison Road in eastern El Paso County on the afternoon of June 23, 2020. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries five days later on June 28, 2020, after suffering from organ failure and strokes due to significant blood loss from a gunshot wound to his
neck.
Following the shooting, Roman's father, Nikolay Krutitskiy, was arrested. Initially, he faced charges including assault, reckless endangerment, a weapons violation, a restraining order violation, and two counts of child abuse. However, after Roman's death, these charges were upgraded to first-degree murder. During the investigation and subsequent trial, harrowing details emerged about the moments leading up to the shooting. Prosecutors alleged that a drunken Nikolay Krutitskiy had pointed a loaded gun at all three of his children, who were 12, 10, and 6 at the time, and asked them, 'do you want me to kill you?' before shooting Roman.
In the immediate aftermath, Nikolay Krutitskiy's accounts of the incident were inconsistent; he claimed at various times that he shot his son intentionally, that it was an accident, and that Roman had shot himself. His defense attorneys argued that he only took responsibility to conceal the true nature of the family tragedy. Despite these claims, a jury found Nikolay Krutitskiy guilty on all counts, including first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. The verdict was delivered in December 2021, and he subsequently faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The Krutitskiy family released a statement expressing their heartbreak over the loss of a boy they described as full of life and joy, and they urged the public to speak out if they suspect abuse or domestic violence.
