A former US Space Force sergeant who shot multiple times at two suspected carjackers outside his residence, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old, has received a sentence of over 50 years in prison.
Orest Schur, aged 29, expressed remorse as he apologized for the murder of 14-year-old Xavier Kirk before being sentenced to 54 years for the fatal shooting that occurred in 2023, according to the Adams and Broomfield Counties District Attorney’s Office.
“I deeply regret the events of that night, the pain, sorrow, and trauma that ensued, and the effect my actions have had on numerous lives,” Schur tearfully addressed an Aurora, Colorado courtroom on August 15.
The deadly shooting also left a 13-year-old hospitalized.
At the time, Schur, a Technical Sergeant with the US Space Force stationed in Aurora, was alerted by a car alarm near his apartment around 11 p.m. on July 5, 2023.
The then 27-year-old seized a pistol and rushed outside to his Hyundai Elantra, where he observed two individuals dressed in black trying to break into the vehicle.
Schur confronted the individuals, but the would-be carjackers fled the area in another car.
The military sergeant gave chase in his car and fired multiple rounds at the teens.
The fleeing car crashed into the backyard fence of a home four blocks south of Schur’s residence.
Kirk and his teen accomplice hopped out of the damaged car and began running away as Schur continued to fire.
Kirk was found suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and back. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead.
The 13-year-old, driving the getaway vehicle, was shot in the back but managed to reach a relative’s home before being taken to a hospital, where he survived.
Schur was arrested after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder.
A jury found the discharged Space Force guardian guilty of the lesser crimes of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder on June 16.
During the trial, Schur claimed the two potential carjackers had shot first and he was acting in self-defense.
Investigators found 11 shell casings were fired, all from Schur, and concluded there was no evidence either teen was armed during the robbery.
Adams County District Court Judge Caryn Datz argued the trained military sergeant should have known not to take lethal action, CBS News Colorado reported.
The former Guardian faced up to 80 years in jail.
“This was vigilante violence at its worst and now a young man is dead,” said Adams and Broomfield Counties District Attorney Brian Mason. “The defendant took the law into his own hands, chasing down a fleeing vehicle and opening fire on its occupants. A 14-year-old boy will now never grow up because of the defendant’s actions.”
Kirk’s family called out Schur during the hearing, questioning why he shot at the unarmed boys.
“What Mr. Schur did to my son and his friend, to chase them down and execute him, over a car that they didn’t even take is ludicrous,” Kirk’s father told the courtroom.
Other relatives deflected from the teens’ brazen attempted carjacking to focus on Schur’s shooting.
“You know, kids make mistakes, and so, I always teach my kids in my family, like my nephews and nieces, about consequences and repercussions,” another relative, the outlet reported. “We’re not trying to excuse any wrongdoing of Xavier, or wrong they were involved in. The part that’s messed up is Orest Shur’s car was never stolen.”
Prosecutors read a statement written by the wounded teen, who also referred to his actions on the night of the shooting but called out Schur for shooting at them.
“An adult chose to use deadly force against two unarmed teenagers. That is not justice, that is not safety, that is not accountability. I survived, but I am not the same. My friend didn’t survive at all. And no matter what we did that night, I didn’t deserve to be shot, and Xavier didn’t deserve to die,” the boy wrote.
