Sparkysgrrrl
War Child
14 year old shot and killed in Denver
Boy pleaded to go out on night he died
Kin recall boy's kind heart
By Sean Kelly
Denver Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 28, 2002 - LAFAYETTE - Valerie Peterson's biggest fear was that her sons someday would be drafted to fight in a war.
But on Sunday, the longtime anti-war activist cried at the irony that her 14-year-old son, Charlie Castaway, was gunned down Friday night on University Hill in Boulder.
"He had a future," she said Sunday at her home, painted with a large peace sign on the front. "Now it's gone."
Police say the shooting was the result of a botched deal for marijuana. Antoine Alfonso Davires Harris, 21, of Denver allegedly sped away from the scene and may be headed to Oakland, Calif., where he has relatives, authorities said. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest on a murder charge.
Charlie had begged his 47-year-old mom earlier in the day to let him go out with his brother and some friends instead of babysitting at home.
Peterson second-guesses herself for letting Charlie - the second-youngest of her five children - go out. But she figured Boulder was safe. He'd been to the Hill many times and promised to come home early.
Charlie's sister, Alece Otero, 28, a University of Colorado at Boulder graduate, said he simply was doing what many young people do in Boulder on a typical Friday night.
"There's so much stuff that goes on in Boulder. This could have happened to just about anyone up there," Otero said. "Charlie just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Charlie went out with older brother Martin, 20, and some friends who were celebrating a birthday. Somewhere along the line, his mother figures, they decided to buy some marijuana.
"I guess they were just going to bum some weed, nothing more than that," she said. "I don't tolerate drinking and I don't tolerate drugs, but they weren't doing anything to get shot for."
Near 13th and Euclid streets, they got in an altercation with two people in another car. They drove off.
Something hit their car. Everyone inside thought it was a rock thrown at the windshield - except Charlie.
"I'm hit. I'm hit," he said.
They thought he was joking until they saw the blood. Charlie was dead before he reached the hospital.
"The bullet went through the car into the backseat and hit my son in the heart," Peterson said.
Charlie was quickly growing into the man he would become, his mother said. He had a good heart but sometimes got in minor trouble, she said. He adopted a dog from the pound and babysat the neighbor kids.
He struggled in school but was doing well in home school. He was a "semi-vegetarian" who would sneak an occasional Big Mac.
He taught himself to play the piano. He loved to skateboard. He could drive a pickup truck or a dirt bike, his father said.
"He picked things up quick," said Martin Castaway, snapping his fingers. "He could do anything he put his mind to."
In photos, Charlie looks out with a cowlick eyebrow that never would stay in place no matter how much anyone tried to smooth it down.
Although he was just 14, Charlie stood more than 6 feet tall. Along with his size came increased expectations, his family said, and most everyone seemed to treat him as an adult.
"He was such a softie. Just look at that face and you can see he was still a baby," his mom said.
Still, she can't bring herself to hate Harris, the alleged shooter. Police believe he sped from the scene in a blue 1979 Chevrolet Caprice.
Peterson figures it was an accident, a mistake. Harris must have been as scared as her son, she said.
"They're just kids. They all must have been so scared," Peterson said. "I'm just hoping it didn't hurt Charlie too bad. I hope he died believing that everything would be OK."
Boy pleaded to go out on night he died
Kin recall boy's kind heart
By Sean Kelly
Denver Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 28, 2002 - LAFAYETTE - Valerie Peterson's biggest fear was that her sons someday would be drafted to fight in a war.
But on Sunday, the longtime anti-war activist cried at the irony that her 14-year-old son, Charlie Castaway, was gunned down Friday night on University Hill in Boulder.
"He had a future," she said Sunday at her home, painted with a large peace sign on the front. "Now it's gone."
Police say the shooting was the result of a botched deal for marijuana. Antoine Alfonso Davires Harris, 21, of Denver allegedly sped away from the scene and may be headed to Oakland, Calif., where he has relatives, authorities said. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest on a murder charge.
Charlie had begged his 47-year-old mom earlier in the day to let him go out with his brother and some friends instead of babysitting at home.
Peterson second-guesses herself for letting Charlie - the second-youngest of her five children - go out. But she figured Boulder was safe. He'd been to the Hill many times and promised to come home early.
Charlie's sister, Alece Otero, 28, a University of Colorado at Boulder graduate, said he simply was doing what many young people do in Boulder on a typical Friday night.
"There's so much stuff that goes on in Boulder. This could have happened to just about anyone up there," Otero said. "Charlie just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Charlie went out with older brother Martin, 20, and some friends who were celebrating a birthday. Somewhere along the line, his mother figures, they decided to buy some marijuana.
"I guess they were just going to bum some weed, nothing more than that," she said. "I don't tolerate drinking and I don't tolerate drugs, but they weren't doing anything to get shot for."
Near 13th and Euclid streets, they got in an altercation with two people in another car. They drove off.
Something hit their car. Everyone inside thought it was a rock thrown at the windshield - except Charlie.
"I'm hit. I'm hit," he said.
They thought he was joking until they saw the blood. Charlie was dead before he reached the hospital.
"The bullet went through the car into the backseat and hit my son in the heart," Peterson said.
Charlie was quickly growing into the man he would become, his mother said. He had a good heart but sometimes got in minor trouble, she said. He adopted a dog from the pound and babysat the neighbor kids.
He struggled in school but was doing well in home school. He was a "semi-vegetarian" who would sneak an occasional Big Mac.
He taught himself to play the piano. He loved to skateboard. He could drive a pickup truck or a dirt bike, his father said.
"He picked things up quick," said Martin Castaway, snapping his fingers. "He could do anything he put his mind to."
In photos, Charlie looks out with a cowlick eyebrow that never would stay in place no matter how much anyone tried to smooth it down.
Although he was just 14, Charlie stood more than 6 feet tall. Along with his size came increased expectations, his family said, and most everyone seemed to treat him as an adult.
"He was such a softie. Just look at that face and you can see he was still a baby," his mom said.
Still, she can't bring herself to hate Harris, the alleged shooter. Police believe he sped from the scene in a blue 1979 Chevrolet Caprice.
Peterson figures it was an accident, a mistake. Harris must have been as scared as her son, she said.
"They're just kids. They all must have been so scared," Peterson said. "I'm just hoping it didn't hurt Charlie too bad. I hope he died believing that everything would be OK."
