Teen shot in the face by council member after walking on property to take homecoming photo

This Tuesday, two teens headed out in Jefferson County, Colo., to find a good place to take homecoming photos. Before nightfall, one of them was shot in the head by a local town council member, according to authorities.

A Wednesday press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to the scene at 4:15 p.m. There, they found the teen bleeding heavily from his face as his friend applied pressure to his wounds with a T-shirt in the victim’s Audi S4.

Deputies saw both the car and a truck parked on the side of the road when they arrived at the scene. Per the Colorado Sun , at least one point during the incident the truck was parked in such a way that the teens could not pull out.

The teen was transported to a local hospital after speaking with law enforcement, and as of Thursday, the injured 17-year-old remained hospitalized, the Colorado Sun reported. Authorities said the victim told law enforcement that he and the friend thought the property on the 23000 block of Pleasant Park Road in Conifer would be a good place to take photos.

In an effort to find the homeowner and ask for permission, the teens said they parked at the home’s gate and jumped the fence to walk up the driveway. However, they didn’t find the homeowner, so they got into the Audi and began writing a note asking for permission to take photos at the property.

While this was happening, the girlfriend of 38-year-old Mountain View town council member Brent Metz saw the teens on the home’s security system, said the Colorado Sun. She called the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to report trespassers. She also called Metz, who arrived before authorities.

Metz, who the teens had never seen before, arrived as they were writing the note. He pulled up next to them in a truck and exited. As he did, Metz “fired a round through the windshield,” according to the sheriff’s office. According to the Colorado Sun, Metz exclaimed “my gun went off” when the discharge occurred.

“I was going to die,” said the injured teen, who didn’t see the shot but soon realized he was bleeding.

Citing an affidavit written by a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy, the outlet said Metz did point the handgun at the teens but may not have intended to pull the trigger. It also said the teen told authorities that he did not believe Metz intended to shoot him.

His friend – who ducked down as he saw Metz pull the gun out of its holster – also heard Metz’ exclamation. However, the friend reportedly pushed Metz away after jumping out of the passenger seat of the car to get to the driver’s side to help, and asked Metz why he fired at his friend.

“While standing with the teens, Metz refused to say whether he had shot the teen and instead said he needed to talk to a lawyer,” The Colorado Sun reported. “But Metz told the deputy where to find the gun, which was in his truck, according to the court document.”

Colorado does allow a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle for protection, according to state law, but there are some restrictions .

Metz was arrested and transported to the Sheriff’s Office, said authorities. He was booked into jail for first Degree Assault, two counts of Felony Menacing, Illegal Discharge of a Firearm, and two counts of Reckless Endangerment. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.