According to a news release from District Attorney Brian Mason, Orest Schur, a former US Space Force signals intelligence analyst, has been sentenced to more than five decades in prison for shooting two suspected teen car thieves and killing one.
Schur, 29, was sentenced to 54 years in prison by Judge Caryn Datz on Friday, Aug. 15, following his conviction in June 2025 for second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder.
He will serve 36 years in prison for the murder charge and 18 years for attempted murder, which will be served consecutively. Schur, an Afghanistan veteran, could have faced up to 80 years in prison or as little as 26.
Schur, a U.S. Space Force technical sergeant at the time, chased down the 13- and 14-year-old boys in Aurora, Colorado, in July 2023, after he allegedly caught them attempting to steal his wife’s car.
According to the forensic testing results, Schur fired 11 shots at the unarmed teens as they drove away and eventually crashed their car, some of which hit 14-year-old Xavier Kirk in the back and head. He was rushed to the hospital and died.
The 13-year-old, whose identity has not been made public, was shot in the back but managed to get to a relative’s house for assistance. The teenager was taken to the hospital and survived his injuries.
Before Schur’s sentencing, he addressed the court and apologized. “I am sorry for the events that occurred that night, for the pain, for the grief and trauma that have followed and for the impact that my case had on so many lives,” according to CBS News.
At Schur’s sentencing, the boys’ family members condemned their actions but stated that they did not deserve to die.
“You know, kids make mistakes, and so, I always teach my kids in my family, like my nephews and nieces, about consequences and repercussions,” one family member told CBS News. “We’re not trying to excuse any wrongdoing by Xavier or anyone else involved. The incorrect information is that Orest Shur’s car was never stolen.
Furthermore, prosecutors read the surviving teen’s statement in court.
“An adult decided to use lethal force against two unarmed teenagers.” “That is not justice, that is not safety, and that is not accountability,” according to CBS News. “I survived, but I’m not the same. My friend did not survive at all. And no matter what we did that night, I did not deserve to be shot, and neither did Xavier.
District Attorney Mason also released a statement, describing Schur’s actions as “vigilante violence at its worst.”
“Now a young man is dead,” the statement read. “The defendant took the law into his own hands, pursuing a fleeing vehicle and opening fire on its passengers. The defendant’s actions have resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy. I’m grateful to the Aurora Police Department for their investigation and to my team at the District Attorney’s Office for ensuring justice in this case.”
