‘It feels unreal’: Richard Sanchez, 60, shot dead by teenager as his leg blocked aisle on Colorado bus

DENVER, COLORADO: A grandfather was fatally shot by a 13-year-old boy on a bus after a verbal altercation over his leg blocking the aisle took place between them, according to police.

The family of victim Richard Sanchez, 60 was unaware about the incident and were informed about it after they filed a missing report. 

An argument over leg space led to the shooting death of Richard Sanchez

Richard Sanchez, 60, was on his way home from work on January 27, when he got into an argument with the teenager who then pulled out a gun and shot him, Fox 31 reported.

The incident happened at around 6.40 pm at the intersection of South Federal Boulevard and West Mississippi Avenue, just a few blocks away from Sanchez’s house in Denver.

Sanchez was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries. Another passenger was also wounded in the shooting but did not require hospitalization.

Richard Sanchez's family was unaware of his death for days

The family of Sanchez did not learn about his death until they filed a missing person report, four days after the shooting.

They said they were devastated and shocked by the loss of their loved one, who they described as a happy and honest person.

“It feels unreal,” Sanchez’s grandson Joseph Chavez said, adding "He was always happy. He was a really happy dude."

Chavez added, "I was really heartbroken, honestly. I don’t understand how someone could do that to such an honest person."

“It’s been hard because we didn’t know where he was at, and the whole time, he was at the hospital and they didn’t contact us. Nobody was there with him during his last breath," Chavez shared further. 

Teenager arrested on murder charge of Richard Sanchez

Denver police arrested a 13-year-old boy on Thursday, February 1,  in connection with the murder of Sanchez.

He is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder and the Denver District Attorney’s Office will decide what charges to file.

A police spokesman told the publication that the investigation revealed that the shooting stemmed from a dispute over leg space on the bus.

“At this stage of the investigation, it appears there was a verbal exchange between the suspect and victim about the victim’s leg blocking the aisle on the bus, and the suspect then shot the victim,” the spokesman said.

Around 178 passengers have reported assaults or injuries while using the RTD transit in 2021 and the first two months of 2022, according to Daily Mail.