AURORA | A protester accused of shooting another protester in the leg and grazing another during a march onto Interstate 225 has been charged with eight felonies, according to an announcement from the 18th Judicial District.
Samuel Young, 23, was charged with four counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault. He also faces two counts of assault with a deadly weapon —
extreme indifference.
He was released from jail on a $75,000 bond, according to the district attorney’s office.
Young, a Wheat Ridge resident, was arrested on July 27, two days after the protest that left at least two people hospitalized.
The shots rang out near 7 p.m. on July 25, when a driver in a turquoise Jeep Rubicon accelerated toward a crowd standing on the empty, northbound side of I-225. Young told police he was firing at the Jeep. Protesters were on the highway marching for justice for Elijah McClain. The scene created chaos as protesters and motorists navigated one another on the interstate.
Police said one adult male was shot in the leg and another was shot in the head, but only experienced a grazing wound. Both victims made their way to area hospitals and their injuries are not life threatening, according to police.
Protesters have called on law enforcement officials to arrest and charge the driver of the Jeep for endangering protesters who were on the highway. Police say they’re still investigating the events that led up to the vehicle charging through the crowd.
No arrests or charges have been made.