7-Year-Old Fatally Shot While Sleeping in Colorado Reservation Home

Colorado – A 7-year-old boy was fatally shot while lying in bed next to his father in a home riddled with 24 bullet holes on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in Colorado, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.

Zackieus Lang, the boy’s father, told investigators his son, Zamias Lang, was sleeping on the right side of the bed when gunfire erupted just after midnight. Lang, who was sleeping on the left side, said he awoke to the sound of gunshots and saw his son struggling in pain.

The shooting occurred in Towaoc, Colorado, on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, a tribal area in the Four Corners region where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet.

Suspect Arrested After Multi-State Search

Jeremiah Hight, the suspect in the shooting, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on the Navajo Nation reservation west of Oljato, Utah, after several days on the run. Navajo Police Department’s K-9 unit and the Bureau of Indian Affairs drug enforcement division found him in a remote area, according to Navajo police spokesperson Chrissy Largo.

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Hight was charged with second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country, and using a firearm during a violent crime. He briefly appeared in federal court in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Thursday, where he agreed to be sent to Colorado to face the charges.

Investigation Details

The FBI, which investigates major crimes on tribal lands, has not identified a motive for the attack. However, an individual who had been drinking with Hight and others earlier that night told an FBI agent that Hight had expressed a plan to “shoot up Zackieus Lang’s house,” according to the arrest affidavit.

Surveillance footage showed someone firing at Lang’s home, and investigators recovered 24 bullet casings from an “assault-style rifle” near the scene.

Reward Announced Before Arrest

Hight’s arrest came about 24 hours after the FBI offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture and conviction. The reward was announced as part of a coordinated effort to locate him following the tragic shooting.

Lang’s lawyer, Luke Stephen Mulligan, could not be reached for comment.

The shooting has left the tribal community in mourning, with authorities vowing to seek justice for young Zamias and his family.