Fruita Man Claims Memory Loss After Shooting Victim at Middle School

"If I see you again, I will kill you."

That’s the line Etzler allegedly drew in the parking lot of Fruita Middle School, right before he started shooting.

The man who triggered a shelter-in-place order and sent neighbors scrambling for cover on May 3 isn’t just claiming he was drunk. He’s claiming he doesn’t remember much of it at all.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Western Slope Now, Etzler left his home on the 600 block of Columbine Avenue upset over a minor domestic dispute — a family member had used an old container to change the oil in his vehicle. He walked down Elm Street armed with a 9mm handgun. He didn’t just carry it; he discharged it.

The victim, noting his behavior was "unusual," followed him in her car. She tried to talk him down. She tried to take the gun.

"He threw an unopened beer can... and then reportedly stated 'f*** you' towards the victim as he discharged the weapon in her direction," the affidavit reads.

It wasn’t just a warning shot. It was an attempt at first-degree murder, according to the charges.

Etzler told 911 dispatchers to leave the area. The victim drove to the intersection of North Maple Street and East Columbine Avenue. That’s where Etzler delivered the kill line.

But here’s the twist: when police finally found him, hiding under blankets and clothes in his detached garage during a protective sweep on Monday morning, Etzler’s defense wasn’t "I didn’t do it." It was "I don’t remember much of what happened."

"He claimed that he was 'not sure of what had happened' as he did not remember much of the events outside of speaking with the victim at Fruita Middle School," the affidavit states.

He told officers he experiences memory loss about once a month, and he believes alcohol is the trigger. He knew law enforcement was looking for him — he heard their loud hails, and he just waited until it got light out to come home.

When officers questioned him, he seemed more confused than guilty. "It was concerning that he shot at [the victim]," Etzler reportedly said.

The charges paint a different picture than the amnesia. Etzler faces criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder, criminal attempt to commit first-degree assault, illegal discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment, felony menacing, prohibited use of weapons, and criminal mischief.

Police found the 9mm handgun he allegedly used. It had a magazine inserted with one round in the chamber. Two other magazines were nearby.

The question is whether the memory loss is a genuine medical or chemical issue, or just a convenient excuse for a man who shot at his family and hid in his garage until dawn.

"It was concerning that he shot at [the victim]," Etzler told officers.

He’s still in the system. The memory loss claim is just one part of the story. The other part is the 9mm round that’s still in the chamber.