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A Colorado man has been sentenced to decades behind bars after prosecutors say he shot his ex-wife in her Longmont driveway while their seven-year-old twins were in the car. The victim survived severe neck and jaw injuries; authorities say the attack violated an active protection order and left the children shaken but physically unharmed.
What happened at the scene
Police say the shooting took place in March 2024, outside the woman’s home. According to an arrest affidavit and court records, the children were sitting in the back of their mother’s station wagon when the shooter — identified as her ex-husband — fired multiple rounds.
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The mother sustained serious wounds to her neck and jaw; treating physicians described one bullet’s path as passing through the left side of the neck, severing a carotid artery, then striking the right side of the neck before fracturing near the jaw. The children were not physically injured, the documents say, but told investigators they heard their father shoot their mother and feared they might be shot next.
- Victim: Survived with major neck and jaw trauma.
- Children: Seven-year-old twins present; uninjured but traumatized.
- Alleged shooter: Ex-husband, 48, who had a protection order forbidding weapon possession.
- Location: Longmont, Colorado driveway.
Pursuit and arrest
Shortly after the shooting, the suspect called 911 and told dispatchers he believed he had killed his ex-wife. Officers located his vehicle on Highway 36 near Lyons. When officers attempted to take him into custody he led them on a brief pursuit, during which he reportedly fired from his car.
Police deployed tire-deflation tactics and eventually stopped the vehicle. The suspect refused to follow commands and was subdued after a police K-9 was used. At the scene officers reported signs of intoxication and the presence of empty alcohol containers and butane canisters in the vehicle; the affidavit also records the suspect telling officers he had warned people the attack would happen and that he had heard voices.
| Charge | Outcome / Penalty |
|---|---|
| Attempted murder | Pleaded guilty; part of combined sentence |
| Vehicular eluding | Included in plea agreement |
| Child abuse; crime of violence; criminal mischief | Guilty pleas entered |
| Sentence | 41 years in state prison (maximum under the plea), plus 240 days jail, 10 years probation; 775 days jail credit |
Court reaction and legal context
Prosecutors described the shooting as an extreme act of domestic violence. The Boulder County District Attorney emphasized that the victim and her children’s willingness to cooperate with investigators helped secure the conviction and the lengthy sentence.
At sentencing, the judge said the defendant’s conduct erased whatever he claimed to have done for his children. The defendant apologized in court, telling the judge he had become the “monster” he feared — words recorded in court filings.
Court records note a preexisting protection order had prohibited the defendant from possessing firearms; that restriction factors into both criminal and risk assessments in cases involving domestic partners.
Why this matters now
This case highlights how domestic-violence incidents can endanger children who witness assaults and raises questions about enforcement of protection orders and firearm access. It also shows prosecutors pursuing maximum punishment when a violent act occurs in the presence of minors.
For communities and courts, the case underscores two practical points: ensuring restraining orders are enforced and prioritizing rapid response when children are exposed to gun violence. Those realities influence both public safety policy and how similar cases are charged and prosecuted.
