Jury finds man guilty in fatal shooting after bar fight

An El Paso County jury Wednesday convicted a Colorado Springs man of manslaughter in the death of a man he shot in the head after a bar fight.

Steven Ray Gonzales, 22, said he shot John David Ortiz, 24, outside Antique Billiards in self-defense.

Jurors took about seven hours to reject that claim and find him guilty of reckless manslaughter, a felony that carries a maximum sixyear prison sentence.

Jurors declined to discuss their verdict.

El Paso County sheriff's deputies immediately handcuffed Gonzales, who turned to his family and told them he loved them. He showed no emotion as the verdict was read.

"It was justified," said John Ortiz's mother, Debby Ortiz, reacting to the jury's verdict. "In this whole case, only his friends witnessed what happened. We don't really know what happened, and we never will."

Witnesses in the weeklong trial told jurors that Ortiz had confronted Gonzales and his group in the bar at 3628 Citadel Drive North on May 9, 2007.

When Gonzales' group left, Ortiz again confronted them in the alley behind the bar - this time with a gun.

Ortiz shoved Gonzales, called him names, then forced his handgun into Gonzales' chest and taunted him to shoot, witnesses said.

Gonzales pointed the gun at Ortiz's head and pulled the trigger.

During closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Jim Bentley told jurors the self-defense claim went out the window once the gun passed from Ortiz to Gonzales.

Since Ortiz was unarmed at that point, Gonzales made a choice to shoot him in the head, Bentley said.

He also said running from the scene, instead of waiting for police to explain the self-defense claim, showed Gonzales knew he had done something wrong.

For self-defense to apply, Gonzales had to think he or his friends were threatened with imminent serious bodily injury or death.

His attorneys tried to convince jurors Ortiz might have had another gun and that Ortiz had friends nearby waiting to attack.

Gonzales is being held without bond until his sentencing, scheduled for Sept. 5.

Gonzales, who has prior convictions for criminal mischief, DUI and underage drinking, was on probation at the time of the shooting.