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Road rage shooting sends 1 to hospital

A 21-year-old shot Saturday morning on I-225 remains in the hospital

AURORA, Colo. — The brother of a man shot during a road rage incident on Interstate 225 Saturday morning is asking the public for help tracking down the shooter and urging drivers to be courteous on the roads.

"Here's my brother Robert, as you can see," Chris Calderon said, glancing down at a cell phone picture of his brother in the ICU at the Medical Center of Aurora.

"That's him holding back the pain," Calderon said.

The pain his brother tries to hide from his hospital bed, Calderon feels.

“It’s my little brother, man, you know. Last thing I want to see is him go through pain."

Saturday morning, Calderon said his brother, Robert Martinez was a passenger in a car driven by their other brother, Juan Martinez.

Calderon said his brother tried to get around a white Jeep Liberty with stock rims and tinted windows.

"My brother went around him, cut him off and got in front of him," Calderon said. "Then, the Jeep Liberty decided that he wanted to get in front of him."

Calderon said his brother Juan intended to exit at Iliff Avenue, but decided not to to avoid the Jeep Liberty. Moments before the Liberty took the Iliff exit, Calderon said the driver pulled a gun.

"The white Liberty gets right next to him before he gets off the off-ramp completely, takes his gun out without saying anything and just [fired] four shots," Calderon said. 

Calderon said a bullet pierced the passenger side of the car and struck his brother, Robert Martinez, in the ribs.

“When the ambulance arrived, they said [Robert] was like five minutes away from dying because there was just so much blood in his lung and it almost collapsed from the bullet wound," Calderon explained.

Martinez, 21, was taken to the hospital where he remained in the ICU Sunday. 

"He’s doing better than he was yesterday," Calderon said. “With time, hopefully man, he can get back to himself again.”

Calderon hopes someone driving on I-225 Saturday about 10:15 a.m. witnessed the shooting and has valuable information to pass along to Aurora Police.

“I just hope this doesn’t happen to anybody else," Calderon said. “Let the road rage go. You know, it’s not worth it."

Aurora Police confirmed to 9NEWS Sunday that investigators were following up on the case.

Anyone with information can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).

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