A man has been sentenced to five years in the Colorado youth offender system for his role in a shooting on Flagstaff Road in 2023.

Josué Esai Hernández-González, 19, pleaded guilty in August to one count of attempted second-degree murder. All other charges were dismissed.

He received five years in the young offender system with a suspended sentence of 15 years in prison if he does not comply. He received 343 days of credit for time served.

A booking photo of Hernández González is not available as he was a minor at the time of the incident. The District Attorney’s Office charged Hernández González as an adult due to “the premeditated nature of the shooting and the people shot,” according to the statement.

At a sentencing hearing Friday morning, Deputy Prosecutor Carlos Rueda said Hernández González was very lucky that no one died in this case. Rueda added that the agreement was drafted with recognition of Hernández González’s age and the fact that the shooter was his brother.

“Without him helping his brother shoot, there would be no shooting,” Rueda said.

Rueda explained that one of the victims lost his scholarship to pay for basketball at the university. The victim’s father added that his son also dreamed of following the family tradition of serving in the armed forces, something he could no longer do.

“My son has lost a lot in his life because of this person and I know that this person will also have to pay for this for the rest of his life,” Dave Gomez said. “I just want him to understand that what he did was a cowardly act.”

Hernández-González said he understands that he caused a lot of damage and reacted to very bad decisions.

“I want to apologize to the victim, the families and the community,” Hernández-González said. “I’m still learning from my mistakes. I believe God is forgiving and when the time comes to step out, I plan to improve and improve what I have going for me. “I just want to apologize to the victims and the family.”

Boulder District Judge Dea Lindsey told Hernández González that he had many opportunities to change his mind and that he was very lucky that no one was killed.

“Mr. Hernandez, I’ve already said this once today, but when you’re so young and you’re dark, this follows you by design, by the fact that you’re a dark man,” Lindsey said.

He later added: “What I want you to consider is that you have a bigger burden and what I mean by that is that you have to work harder and try harder, otherwise this will not be the end of your criminal situation.”

Lindsey said she believes people are not a product of the worst thing they’ve ever done in their life.

“There are people who care about you and want to see you succeed and I don’t see that every day,” Lindsey said. “My expectation is that you will be great.”

Jafet Hernandez-Gonzalez, 23, the defendant’s older brother and co-defendant, accepted a plea deal in October in which he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted second-degree murder, according to court records. All other charges, including seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, were dismissed. He is still awaiting sentencing on December 17.

According to the release, on May 12, 2023, a group of young adults left a graduation party in a Cadillac Escalade and traveled to Flagstaff Mountain. The Escalade crashed in Flagstaff and was no longer drivable. In a second car, Jafet Hernández-González arrived to help before engaging in a verbal confrontation with the driver of the Escalade.

Jafet Hernández-González walked away and got a gun before returning to the mountain with his brother. According to the statement, at that time other people had already arrived to help those who were in the Escalade.

Josué Hernández-González passed the group twice before slowing down the third time. As they passed, Jafet Hernández-González fired multiple bullets into the group, shooting the driver of the Escalade and another victim. The statement says both victims survived their injuries, but the prosecution notes that one victim suffered serious bodily injuries.

Jafet Hernández-González’s cell phone was tracked to be at the scene of the shooting at the time it occurred. His cell phone record also confirmed that he met for a weapons exchange.