A 24-year-old man who was drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and “fooling around with a gun” in a Lakewood home when he shot a 16-year-old to death has been sentenced to 24 years in prison, officials say.
John Martinez fatally shot 16-year-old Zebulun Bacon to death on July 17, 2017, according to a news release by Pam Russell, spokeswoman for Jefferson County District Attorney Peter Weir.
Martinez, Bacon and a 15-year-old were hanging out together around 6 a.m. smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol when Martinez went into another room and got a loaded gun, the news release says.
“The trio were talking about the gun, fooling around with it and handling it when Martinez raised the gun, pointed it at Zebulun and shot him in the chest,” Russell said in the release.
Martinez called police to report what he had done and said the shooting was an accident.
A Jefferson County jury found Martinez guilty of reckless manslaughter.
