In the spring of 2019, the life of 16-year-old Bryan Angelo DeHerrera was tragically cut short in Denver, Colorado. On the morning of Thursday, April 11, 2019, events were set in motion that would end in violence. DeHerrera, a male student at Colorado High School Charter, had arranged via social media to purchase a handgun from a fellow student. Surveillance footage from a convenience store on Knox Street captured him withdrawing $360 from an ATM around 9 a.m., presumably to complete the
transaction.
Shortly after, around 9:20 a.m., police responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired in the 100 block of South Yuma Street, near West Bar Val Wood Park in the Valverde neighborhood. Upon arrival, officers discovered DeHerrera on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Denver Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a 17-year-old peer of DeHerrera. Police uncovered the social media negotiations for the gun, which they referred to by the slang term 'pole'. On April 26, the suspect was arrested at his home, located just a block away from the scene of the crime.
Following his arrest, the 17-year-old suspect provided his account of the fatal encounter. He claimed that after he sold the loaded 9mm handgun to DeHerrera, DeHerrera then pointed the weapon at him. A struggle for the gun ensued, during which the suspect alleged he managed to regain control of the firearm and shot DeHerrera before fleeing the scene. The Denver District Attorney's office announced its intention to charge the juvenile suspect as an adult. The charges filed against him included first-degree murder and possession of a handgun by a juvenile.
