By John Finefrock
Staff Writer
A Pagosa Springs juvenile has been arrested on charges of second-degree assault after allegedly stealing a firearm and shooting another juvenile while playing a variation of Russian roulette.
Early Friday morning, around 3:30 a.m., two male juveniles, ages 16 and 17, were playing with a firearm they allegedly stole from an unattended vehicle, according to Pagosa Springs Police Department (PSPD) Lt. Brooks Brown.
According to Brown, the two juveniles were playing a variation of Russian roulette and one individual shot the other in the leg. When they couldn’t get the bleeding to stop, they drove to Pagosa Springs Medical Center.
“Anytime there’s a gunshot wound that goes to the hospital they have to notify law enforcement,” noted Brown.
Initially, the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case, as it was perceived the incident happened in the county, outside of town limits. Ultimately, it was determined the incident happened on the south side of Pagosa Springs, and the PSPD took over the case.
As of Monday afternoon, one of the juveniles is in custody on charges of second-degree assault.
The juvenile who was shot in the leg is not currently in custody and is not facing charges at this time, though Brown noted there is still an ongoing investigation for other things related to the incident.
Alcohol and marijuana were involved in the shooting incident, according to Brown.
For more information, see Thursday’s edition of The SUN.
john@pagosasun.com
