fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Article

'I wish I could absorb that pain': Defendant who shot teen in face takes stand, testifies gun malfunctioned

Denver7 · · 1505 words · By Colette Bordelon; Stephanie Butzer
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Ready to play
Daily briefing

What to know about 'I wish I could absorb that pain': Defendant who shot teen in face takes stand, testifies gun malfunctioned

— The defense rested their case on Friday afternoon in the trial of a former Mountain View Town Council member, who told the jury he never pulled the trigger when his gun fired, shooting a teen in the face.

Claims checked 13
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

— The defense rested their case on Friday afternoon in the trial of a former Mountain View Town Council member, who told the jury he never pulled the trigger when his gun fired, shooting a teen in the face.

Why it matters

10, 2024, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) reported that two teens — then 17-year-old Jack Howard and 15-year-old Luke Brookhouser — walked through Brent Metz's property without permission.

Common ground

The boys said they hopped the fence, hoping to speak with the homeowners about using the land for homecoming pictures.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/jeffco/i-wish-i-could-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 9
schedule Pending 3
verified Verified 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “and was removed from Mountain View Town Council during a special election in May 2025.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is confirmed by multiple independent sources including Denver7, Ballotpedia, 9News, and a local news report, all stating he was removed from the Mountain View Town Council via a recall/special election in May 2025.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us was originally broadcast on HBO between January and March 2023. Based on the video game franchise developed by …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us_season_1
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Tibesti Mountains are a mountain range in the central Sahara, primarily located in the extreme north of Chad, with a small portion located in southern Libya. The highest peak in the range, Emi Kou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibesti_Mountains
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — X, formerly known as Twitter, is an American microblogging and social networking service, headquartered in Bastrop, Texas. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-v…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_(social_network)
+ 4 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 2: “According to Metz, he has been a concealed carry permit holder for approximately 20 years.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 3: “According to SIG Sauer, "the P320 cannot, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull."”
VERIFIED
Direct quotes from SIG Sauer's own official communications/website confirm the claim that the P320 cannot discharge without a trigger pull.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull – that is a fact. The allegations against the P320 are nothing more than ...
https://www.sigsauer.com/p320-truth
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nov 23, 2025 ... The P320 can only fire when the trigger is pulled. We stand behind USAA's findings and will continue to support their mission to keep employees ...
https://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/1p4ivwa/new_sig_p320_…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 20, 2026 ... "Sig states the P320 CANNOT FIRE WITHOUT A TRIGGER PULL. That isn't true. I prove it…with a hammer." ...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/396824203859959/posts/312950…
check_circle
Claim 4: “Derek Watkins... told the jury he ran a number of tests on the specific SIG Sauer P320 that was owned by Metz.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent reports on the trial (including a June 1, 2026 report and a Threads update) confirm that prosecution expert Derek Watkins testified about running tests on Metz's specific SIG Sauer P320.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 30, 2026 ... ... Metz's SIG Sauer P320 could discharge without a trigger pull. Prosecution expert Derek Watkins previously testified that extensive testing ...
https://www.threads.com/@denverinthedark/post/DY-oa4Altct/co…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2026 ... Derek Watkins, the prosecution's expert witness in firearms design and manufacturing, told the courtroom that he ran tests on the SIG Sauer P320 ...
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/je…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 1, 2026 ... Engineer Derek Watkins testified that there can be an accidental discharge of a semi-automatic Sig Sauer P320 -- the kind of gun Metz had.
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/guilty-brent-metz-shoo…
check_circle
Claim 5: “Metz... telling the jury he is a general contractor, and in the past was a mechanical engineer who worked in the oil and gas industry.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by Denver 7 reporting on his testimony and a 2023 candidate profile for Brent Metz which describes his background as a Petroleum Engineer and business owner in the oil and gas industry.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to the procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the ...
https://www.bsee.gov/sites/bsee.gov/files/technology-assessm…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 30, 2026 · Metz took the stand in his own defense on Friday afternoon, telling the jury he is a general contractor, and in the past was a mechanical ...
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/je…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nov 7, 2023 · After college I went to work as a Petroleum Engineer and after a few years started my own Petroleum Engineering Business where we assisted oil ...
https://ballotpedia.org/Brent_Metz_(Mountain_view_town_counc…
check_circle
Claim 6: “He pleaded not guilty to all charges in April 2025”
CORROBORATED
Two independent cross-references from Denver7 confirm that Brent Metz pleaded not guilty to the charges in April 2025.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Charlize Theron ( shar-LEEZ THERR-ən; Afrikaans: [ʃarˈlis ˈtrɔn]; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlize_Theron
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rajen Sheth is an executive at Google, where he currently runs product management at cloud AI and machine learning team. The idea of an enterprise version Google's email service Gmail was pitched by…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajen_Sheth
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Office is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as The Office in 2001. The original series also starred Gerva…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Office
+ 2 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 7: “Metz disputed that [he does not own the property in Conifer], saying he does indeed own the Conifer property”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 8: “Edward Wilks said he has owned a gun store in Rifle for roughly 25 years”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by Denver 7 (reporting his testimony) and a separate 2020 news report identifying Edward Wilks as the owner of the Tradesman Pawn Shop Gun Store in Rifle.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Steyr AUG (German: Armee-Universal-Gewehr, lit. 'army universal rifle') is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr_AUG
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Scott Thomas Wilk Sr. (born March 16, 1959) is an American politician who served as the California State Senate minority leader from January 20, 2021 until December 5, 2022. He is a Republican who pre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Wilk
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullpup
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 9: “While attending college, Metz said he was in the U.S. Air Force.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 10: “Howard, the teen who was shot in the face, testified on Thursday”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm Jack Howard testified and that he was shot in the face (one source describes his testimony about the injury, another confirms the conviction for shooting through the windshield into his face).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Frantically, Howard repeated to his friend that he thought he may die. "My mouth was on fire, and it felt like my upper lip was gone, and I could taste little fragments of something in my mouth, a bun…
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/i-thought-i-was-goin…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Brent Metz was convicted in one of the four felonies he faced for shooting through the teen’s windshield and hitting him in the face.
https://www.cpr.org/2026/06/01/brent-metz-found-guilty-shoot…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The police were given the tip in an interview with Harold Hunter Jr., a 14-year-old neighbor of Wardlow. Hunter said he had seen Wardlow and his friend, Ronald James, 17, about a block from the murder…
https://www.inquirer.com/news/homicide-files-1977-series-pol…
check_circle
Claim 11: “Metz faces four felony charges: second-degree assault (recklessly causing a serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent cross-references from Denver7 explicitly list the four felony charges: second-degree assault, two counts of felony menacing, and illegal discharge of a firearm.
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — Metz was arrested and formally charged with second-degree assault (recklessly causing a serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm.
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/i-thought-i-was-goin…
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — Metz was arrested and formally charged with second-degree assault (recklessly causing a serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm.
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/je…
check_circle
Claim 12: “Wilks examined the gun in this case, which was a SIG Sauer P320.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (including trial reports and expert testimony summaries) identify the firearm used by Metz as a SIG Sauer P320.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The SIG Sauer P320 is a modular striker-fired semi-automatic pistol made by SIG Sauer, Inc., SIG Sauer's American branch. It marked Sig Sauer's first foray into striker-fired pistols, as their first o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer_P320
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The SIG Sauer M17 and M18 are service pistols derived from the SIG Sauer P320 in use with the United States Armed Forces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer_M17
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — SIG Sauer ([ɛs iː ɡeː ˈzaʊ̯ɐ]), is, since the 1970s, a combined brand name of several firearms manufacturing companies, with SIG referring to Swiss Industry Group originally founded 1853, while the la…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_Sauer
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 13: “On Sept. 10, 2024, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) reported that two teens — then 17-year-old Jack Howard and 15-year-old Luke Brookhouser — walked through Brent Metz's property without permission.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (Denver 7 and another report) confirm the date (Sept 10, 2024), the ages of the teens (17 and 15), their names (Jack Howard and Luke Brookhouser), and the report by JCSO regarding trespassing on Brent Metz's property.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Louisville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville,_Kentucky
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2026 ... In 2024, Howard was 17 years old. He told the jury that he picked up his best friend, then 15-year-old Luke Brookhouser, from school on Sept. 10 ...
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/i-thought-i-was-goin…
travel_explore
+ 1 more evidence source
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.