DENVER (KDVR) — A man charged with firing a gun at a Jeep he said he thought was trying to run over protesters in Aurora has been found guilty.
The jury found Samuel Young guilty of two counts of second-degree assault, four counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of illegal discharge of a firearm.
Law enforcement escorted Young out of the courtroom Thursday after the verdict was read.
Sentencing is set for May 17. Young faces up to three years in prison on each of the attempted manslaughter count and the illegal discharge count and up to four years for second-degree assault convictions.
The shooting happened on July 25, 2020, at the height of the nationwide movement against police violence.
Young, 24, was with a group who marched onto Interstate 225 and blocked the highway. The group was protesting police actions in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and Elijah McClain.
At one point, a blue Jeep came speeding down the highway, past the crowd. The crowd rushed to get out of the way. That’s when prosecutors say Young pulled out his gun and fired five shots in the direction of the crowd. The bullets hit the back of the Jeep. Two fellow protesters were slightly wounded but the driver of the Jeep was not hit.
Young was originally charged with attempted murder but those charges have been reduced to four counts of attempted reckless manslaughter, two counts of assault, and one count of illegally firing a gun.
Some in the crowd say it appeared the driver was intentionally driving at the protesters. But the driver of the Jeep was never charged with a crime.