Antifa shooter found guilty of attempted manslaughter in 2020 shooting at BLM riot

Young's trial began on March 22, with the jury beginning its deliberations on Thursday morning. Young will be sentenced on May 17.

On July 25, 2020, Young was among a crowd protesting the death of Elijah McClain, who died after a police encounter. The group at one point moved down East Alameda Avenue and onto the highway, which had to be closed down. A Jeep was traveling down the highway, and some protestors jumped out of the way to avoid it. Police said there were no reports of anyone being injured by the vehicle.

In response, Young fired at the Jeep, but missed, instead striking two fellow Black Lives Matter protesters. One man was shot in the leg and another was grazed on the head by a bullet. Both went to the hospital for their injuries.

Young's defense attorney Jason Kosloski argued that his client fired his gun to protect others. "When Samuel Young fired those shots it was a second between people dying on that roadway, somebody tripping and falling and becoming roadkill," Kosloski claimed. "Samuel Young made a split-second decision and acted, and that's why Samuel Young is innocent," the lawyer added.

Prosecutors argued that Young's actions that day were not justified.

"Those decisions that he made to pull his gun, to fire at the jeep under those circumstances, was not justified," said prosecutor Tom Byrnes.

Former district attorney George Brauchler announced in September of 2020 that the driver of the Jeep in question would not be facing charges, due in part because Black Lives Matter protesters were illegally blocking highway, and that the driver had little to no warning that the demonstrators would be there.

By about 9 pm that night, the group returned to Aurora Police Department headquarters and tore the fence surrounding the complex, prompting APD to declare the protest an "unlawful assembly" and ask protesters participating to leave the area. A tweet said that anyone who remained would be subject to arrest.