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DENVER (KDVR) — A teen is being charged as an adult in a shooting that killed a 16-year-old girl.

According to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Brandon Louis Sandoval, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, allegedly murdered Aaliyah Cortez.

On Jan. 11, Denver Police Department officers responded to a shooting in the 5400 block of North Atchison Way in the Montbello neighborhood. Police said a suspect approached a stopped car, pulled out a gun and shot Cortez once.

Teen fired gun during drug deal, police say

According to the arrest affidavit, Cortez was in the car with her older sister when her sister decided she wanted to sell some THC vape pens. The sister was going to sell the pens to a friend of a friend whom she had never met in person but had his Snapchat.

The friend sent the sister the address of where to meet which was located in the Montbello neighborhood. According to the affidavit, once the sisters were in the neighborhood, they got lost and started driving slowly near a park.

That is when a teenage boy approached the car and pointed a gun at the sister’s head. The sister threw the THC cartridges out of the car and began to drive away but lost traction on some ice.

The affidavit says that is when Cortez began hitting the suspect to get him to let go of the car frame. The suspect fired his gun.

Once in custody, the sister was able to identify Sandoval as the suspect.

Sandoval is charged with:

  • One count of first-degree murder – after deliberation
  • One count of felony menacing
  • One count of possession of a handgun as a juvenile

On Jan. 13, a juvenile was arrested in connection to the shooting but due to his age, his name was not released. Now, Sandoval is being charged as an adult.