Colorado man on trial for shooting teenager through car windshield near his property

A jury is deliberating assault charges against Brent Metz, who shot 17-year-old Jack Howard through an Audi windshield near his Golden, Colorado property.

Jury weighs felony assault charges after teenager shot during homecoming photo search

A jury in Golden, Colorado, began deliberating Thursday after three days of testimony in the assault case against Brent Metz, 40, a gun owner who fired a shot that struck a 17-year-old through his car's windshield, Courthouse News Service reports.

Jack Howard and a friend, identified only as Luke, spent the afternoon of September 10, 2024, driving through the area in search of a scenic backdrop for homecoming dance photos. After spotting a lake just off the road near Metz's property, the pair pulled over and went to look for the homeowner to request permission before returning later that evening.

As the two teenagers made their way back to their car to leave a note, a woman approaching the property spotted them and called 911, simultaneously alerting her partner, Brent Metz. At the time, Metz was serving as a member of the Mountain View Town Council.

Within seconds of Metz arriving at the scene, his Sig Sauer P320 discharged a round that struck Howard through the windshield of his Audi. Howard survived, but the facial injury left him with roughly $100,000 in medical expenses, according to a civil lawsuit filed in December.

Competing accounts of how the gun fired

All parties agree on the basic sequence of events — but sharply disagree on what caused the gun to go off. Luke told investigators he watched Metz step out of his vehicle and point the firearm directly at Howard. Metz, however, maintains he never intentionally aimed the weapon at the teenagers. He says he was in the process of transferring the pistol from a truck holster to a hip holster when he lost his footing and the gun discharged on its own.

Deputy District Attorney Christopher Johnson pressed hard against that account during closing arguments. "Mr. Metz knows these are kids, he knows there is no danger, he knows his gun is loaded, he knows there is a live round in the chamber, he knows there is no manual safety," Johnson told the jury.

The prosecution's position, Johnson said, is straightforward: "It is our unwavering position that the facts show that this happened the way Jack said it happened and Luke said it happened."

Sig Sauer P320 design becomes central issue

The specific model of firearm involved — a Sig Sauer P320 — became a focal point at trial. The pistol uses a striker safety system that is disengaged by pulling the trigger, rather than a conventional thumb safety. The P320 has been named in numerous safety lawsuits in recent years.

Both sides called firearms experts to the stand. Prosecutor's witness Derek Watkins, an engineer, examined Metz's pistol and concluded it contained no mechanical defect that would cause an unintended discharge. The defence countered with gun shop owner Edward Wilks, who characterised the P320 as "a trainwreck," adding: "The only time that weapon is safe is when there is not ammunition anywhere around it."

Defence highlights defendant's background

Defence attorney Christopher Decker, of Decker & Jones in Denver, portrayed Metz throughout the trial as a responsible gun owner — an Air Force veteran and former Eagle Scout who spends his free time hunting and training. "If Mr. Metz knew anything about the Sig Sauer, we wouldn't be there today, because he's that kind of gun owner," Decker argued in closing.

Metz faces four felony counts, including assault and menacing. A conviction on any single count would permanently strip him of the right to own a firearm.

First Judicial District Judge Russell Klein presided over the trial at the Jefferson County Combined Court in Golden.

Source: Courthouse News Service