Man Messing With Gun Killed Childhood Friend In Ruby Hill: Cops

DENVER, CO – A 21-year-old man accused of killing a childhood friend in a Ruby Hill gun accident appears in Denver District Court this week.

Gary "Riot" Martinez is charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of tampering with evidence in the shooting death of a childhood friend, Christopher "Hayden" Gonzales, 22, in March.

On March 18, in the afternoon police were summoned to an apartment building in the 1800 block of West Mosier Place where they found Gonzales, bleeding on the kitchen floor with an apparent gunshot wound, a police affidavit said. He was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead.

Police received a number of anonymous tips through the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers line that indicated that Martinez, a longtime friend of Gonzales, had shot him accidentally as he was handling a pair of handguns, the affidavit said.

One witness told police that Gonzales had left two handguns and a shotgun out in the open when a group of friends gathered at the apartment that Sunday afternoon. Martinez reportedly picked up both handguns and one went off, wounding Gonzales, the witness said.

Gonzales reportedly called out "I'm shot, call the cops!" the witness said, but instead of calling for help, the friends all fled the apartment. Martinez later returned with another friend to the apartment to retrieve the two handguns, the witness told police, according to the affidavit.

Police evidence technicians never recovered the handguns, but found a bullet in a closet wall, the affidavit said.

Martinez was arrested August 22 and has been in custody in the Denver County Jail held on $100,000 bond.

Martinez 's case is scheduled in court Sept. 20 for an advisement hearing.

Image via Denver District Attorney's Office

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