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AURORA, Colo. — A man was sentenced to 160 years in prison for killing one man and wounding another in a 2018 shooting in Aurora.

Joseph Allen Collins Jr., 25, was convicted of second-degree murder in September. The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office says Collins shot and killed 22-year-old Zachary Robinson.

Collins was also convicted of attempted second-degree murder for shooting Robinson’s friend, who was also 22. The friend survived.

The shooting occurred June 25, 2018 at an apartment complex at 2095 S. Paris Way in Aurora. Collins shot Robinson and his friend after a brief argument.

Both Robinson and his friend were unarmed.

Zachary Robinson. Credit: 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office

“By age 25, this career criminal had racked up multiple felony convictions, repeatedly and illegally possessed firearms, failed at numerous attempts at supervision and rehabilitation, all before murdering another human being and shooting yet another. The system did not fail this miscreant. He chose to fail society. We build prisons to protect our community from this lawless, evil behavior,” said DA George Brauchler in a statement. “With our convoluted sentencing system, ever weakened by a legislature that thinks every criminal deserves ten chances to re-offend, maybe—just maybe, this killer will not get yet another chance to victimize someone in our neighborhoods.”

Collins was sentenced on Dec. 17.

Chief Deputy DA Victoria Klingensmith and Deputy DA Meghan Gallo prosecuted the case.

“This defendant chose to obtain a weapon illegally. He chose to pull it out, point it and shoot two unarmed men multiple times,” said Klingensmith. “Defendants who continue to reoffend like this should not be in our community.”

“This was a grave and serious offense that will forever impact the survivor and the family of the victim,” said Gallo. “Nothing can repair what he did, but this sentence does show that justice can be done.”

In addition to the murder and attempted murder counts, Collins was convicted of two counts of felony menacing and one count of possession of a weapon by a previous offender.

Collins sentence includes 96 years for killing Robinson and 64 years for trying to kill Robinson’s friend.