Defendant in Gunbarrel road rage shooting case headed for prison as part of plea agreement

Mitchell Byars, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·2 min read
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Nov. 14—The Boulder County man accused of a road rage shooting near Gunbarrel in 2021 is headed for prison after entering into a plea agreement in his case.

David Joseph Waters, 40, pleaded guilty Monday in Boulder District Court to attempted second-degree murder and possession of explosives or incendiary parts.

As part of the plea agreement, Waters will be sentenced to 10 to 30 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

The remaining charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder, will be dismissed. A separate weapons and bond violation case was also dismissed as part of the plea.

Waters was set for trial in December after initially entering a plea of not guilty, but that trial date has been vacated as a result of the plea.

Boulder County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Shannon Carbone said the named victim in the case "was onboard with the plea."

Waters remains in custody at the Boulder County Jail on $250,000 bond and is set for sentencing on March 3.

According to a press release, Boulder County sheriff's deputies responded to a call at 6:50 a.m. on Nov. 24, 2021, in the area of North 75th Street and Heatherwood Drive after a caller said he was driving and passing another vehicle when the driver shot at him with a handgun.

Deputies found a bullet hole in the passenger door of the caller's truck and the bullet lodged in the door.

About an hour later, deputies searching the area found the suspected vehicle parked outside a residence in the 4600 block of Ipswich Street. Deputies and detectives found Waters inside, and he admitted to driving the vehicle in the area during the timeframe of the shooting, but denied any involvement.

Detectives applied for a search warrant for the Waters' vehicle and home, and found a large cache of firearms, ammunition and tactical gear in the house.

They also found suspected bomb-making materials, and called in the Boulder County Regional Bomb Squad to secure the scene and investigate further.