Boy, 13, charged in fatal shooting on RTD bus in Denver, convicted

A 13-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting a 60-year-old man on a regional transportation bus in Denver was sentenced Thursday to 5 1/2 years in the Department of Youth Services.

The boy, who has not been identified because he is a juvenile, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and attempted first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Richard Sanchez on Jan. 27 on an RTD bus near South Federal Boulevard and West Mississippi Avenue. .

The boy’s sentence included five years for the murder charge and six months for the attempted murder charge, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said.

“The senseless death of Richard Sanchez is yet another example of the tragedy that often results when young people carry guns,” Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said in a statement Thursday.

“In recent years, my office has taken important steps to address this deeply troubling issue, but clearly more must be done to prevent future tragedies in Denver,” McCann said.

The boy shot Sanchez after a verbal altercation that began when the boy and a group of youths boarded the bus and walked past Sanchez, whose leg was in the aisle, according to a police report.

Sanchez then walked up to the group and confronted them in the back of the bus, where the boy shot Sanchez multiple times and stepped over Sanchez’s body to exit the bus.

The 13-year-old was initially charged with first-degree murder, assault, endangering a public transportation crew and other charges, which were dismissed as part of the plea deal.