DENVER — Recent court documents reveal that a tragic shooting involving a 7-year-old boy occurred on a tribal reservation in Colorado, where the child was struck while lying next to his father in bed. The incident, which resulted in 24 bullet holes within the family’s home on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, took place just after midnight and has left the community reeling from the loss.
Zackieus Lang recounted to investigators that he was sleeping on the left side of the bed when the gunfire erupted, hitting his son, Zamias Lang, who was positioned on the right. This revelation came to light through the arrest affidavit of Jeremiah Hight, who faces charges related to the shooting.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), tasked with investigating serious offenses on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation, has yet to disclose a motive for the fatal incident. Nevertheless, an individual who had been socializing with Hight in the hours leading up to the shooting informed an FBI agent that Hight had expressed intentions to “shoot up Zackieus Lang’s house,” as mentioned in the affidavit.
Hight was apprehended on a mesa near Oljato, Utah, utilizing the resources of the Navajo Police Department’s canine unit alongside the Bureau of Indian Affairs drug enforcement division. According to Navajo police spokesperson Chrissy Largo, authorities had pursued Hight for several days before successfully locating him in a remote area.
During the investigation, officials collected 24 shell casings from what was described as an “assault-style rifle” at the Colorado shooting scene. These casings were found in proximity to where an unidentified individual was recorded firing a weapon on surveillance footage, as indicated in the affidavit.
Zackieus Lang reported witnessing his son struggling and grappling with pain immediately after the incident. Hight’s arrest occurred approximately 24 hours after the FBI had announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture and conviction related to the shooting at the residence in Towaoc, Colorado, which is situated around 110 miles (177 kilometers) from where Hight was found.
On Thursday, Hight made a brief appearance in federal court located in Flagstaff, Arizona. He did not contest his identity as the individual being sought in connection with the shooting that claimed the life of Zamias Lang. Hight is set to be transferred to Colorado, where he will face charges that include second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon within Indian Country, and the unlawful use of a firearm during a violent crime.
A request for comment regarding Hight’s case was made to his attorney, Luke Stephen Mulligan, but a response had not been received as of Thursday.
