BRIGHTON, Colo. — A teenager has been formally charged after he allegedly shot and killed a 17-year-old in Brighton on July 12.
The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged Jonah Graham, 16, with first-degree murder and possession of a handgun by a juvenile.
Graham is accused of killing Josiah Gonzales, 17, at Ken Mitchell Park just before 9:30 p.m. on July 12. The Brighton Police Department said witnesses told officers they saw an argument between Gonzales and a suspect before the shooting.
Graham was arrested on Thursday at his home in Commerce City, according to the police department.
Ashley Huerta identified Gonzales as her son.
"He would help anybody that needed help," she told Denver7. "If somebody needed the shirt off his back, he would give it to them."
Gonzales has two younger brothers and would have started his last year at Innovations and Options High School in the fall. Huerta said he wanted to become a truck driver, like his grandfather. Huerta said her son enjoyed fishing, hanging out with his friends, meeting new people and playing video games.
Months before the shooting, Gonzales received several threats from people he knew, Huerta said. She reported these threats to police.
"They would send him pictures of guns to his phone and ask him where he's at, and he would just ignore it," Huerta said.
Graham's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 4.