A man who left a Greeley bar after being “disrespected” by another patron now faces up 1,200 years in prison after being convicted of returning to the establishment with a rifle to exact his revenge.
The jury found 39-year-old Efren Sanchez guilty Friday on 50 counts of attempted murder. Sanchez faces a sentence no less than 400 years, according to the 19th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The jury deliberated two days before reaching its decision.
According to the Greeley Police Department, Sanchez returned to the Rancho El Corazon bar in August 13, 2022, wearing a mask. He fired a total of 28 rounds at patrons standing in the parking lot outside the bar. Video surveillance showed Sanchez then fired several more rounds into the building before driving away.
Two people standing behind a black pickup truck in the parking lot were injured. They both survived their wounds.
“He shot bullet after bullet, causing panic and pain,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Pirraglia said during Friday’s closing arguments, according to the DA’s office. “These are innocent victims with forever reminders of the defendant’s actions.”
