'Think she will remember us?': 7-year-old twins watch dad pump bullets into their mother while sitting in station wagon in driveway

A Colorado antheral is headed to situation for decades aft shooting his ex-wife successful the cervix and limb portion she was sitting successful a car with their kids successful the backseat.

"I deliberation I conscionable killed my ex-wife," Brandon Allen, 48, told a constabulary dispatcher aft calling 911 to study the weapon attack, which unfolded successful his ex-wife's driveway astatine her Longmont location successful March 2024, according to an apprehension affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.

Allen's ex, Nicki Douglass-Johansen, survived the shooting. She told the Longmont Daily Times-Call that doctors believed 1 of the bullets entered done the near broadside of her neck, sliced 1 of her close carotid arteries, past deed the close broadside of her cervix and "bounced each around" earlier coming into interaction with her jaw and shattering.

The couple's 7-year-old twins were successful Douglass-Johansen's presumption wagon with her erstwhile Allen, who was sentenced this week to 41 years successful situation aft entering a plea statement for attempted murder, opened fire.

"Two kids were successful the backseat of this conveyance erstwhile the shooting occurred but were uninjured," the affidavit says. "[One of the children] said helium and his sister were successful the backseat of the conveyance astir to spell to the store with their mom."

According to the boy, "Their dada … changeable their ma twice" and they "both got down successful their spot due to the fact that they did not cognize if their dada was going to sprout them arsenic well," the affidavit says. Allen fled from the country successful his car and the children rolled a model down and yelled for idiosyncratic to telephone 911.

"[The children] commented their dada is evil and said thing on the lines of, ma got changeable successful the head, bash you deliberation she volition retrieve us?" the affidavit recounts.

Douglass-Johansen's parent told cops the kids person each lived determination with their ma successful Longmont for six years and Allen "has ne'er lived there." The parent was upstairs successful the residence and heard 2 shots and got up to spot what it was.

"She saw Brandon lasting adjacent the rear rider broadside of the greenish conveyance with a weapon successful hand," the affidavit says. "Brandon turned and walked to his conveyance and left."

Authorities began canvassing the country for Allen, who called 911 during the hunt and said, "I deliberation I conscionable killed my ex-wife" and "I fired a weapon astatine her," according to the affidavit.

Allen was aboriginal located successful his conveyance connected the broadside of Highway 36 adjacent Lyons. While officers were readying to apprehend Allen, helium drove distant and led constabulary connected a little pursuit. Officers tried to usage a pit maneuver to halt him, but helium continued driving and began firing shots retired of his vehicle, per the affidavit.

"At slightest 1 much [pit-maneuver] was applied and this 1 led to Brandon stopping," the affidavit says. "Brandon exited his conveyance and was not complying with commands from officers. This led to him being spot by constabulary K9 earlier being arrested."

After being arrested, Allen continued to archer officers however helium "shot and killed his ex-wife." He claimed to have told radical "this was going to happen, and that helium heard voices," according to the affidavit.

"Officers located 2 bare PBRs and 2 bare shooters successful the conveyance on with 4 butane cans," the affidavit adds. "Brandon was observed to beryllium slurring his words, had bloodshot eyes, and had the odor of an chartless alcoholic beverage connected his breath."

Court documents amusement that a extortion bid was successful spot that prohibited Allen from possessing a weapon. He pleaded blameworthy to attempted murder, vehicular eluding, kid abuse, transgression of violence, and transgression mischief.

"This horrific, brutal shooting was an outrageous enactment of home violence," Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told Law&Crime successful a statement. "The unfortunate is fortunate to beryllium alive. It is due to the fact that of her courage, and that of her kids, that she is live contiguous and the suspect received this lengthy condemnation to authorities prison. Based connected his actions and deficiency of genuine remorse, the suspect surely deserves this sentence."

More from Law&Crime: Mom told lad to screen his ears earlier blowing distant boy's dada with a .38 revolver, past she hopped successful his Mercedes and went to termination begetter of different kid she had

Boulder County District Court Judge Thomas F. Mulvahill sentenced Allen to 41 years successful the Department of Corrections — the maximum punishment allowed nether the plea woody — and 240 days successful jail, with 10 years of probation. He was fixed recognition for 775 days served.

"Everything that you accidental you did for your children was obliterated the infinitesimal you changeable their mother," Mulvahill said during Allen's sentencing hearing, according to the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

"I'm sorry," Allen told the court. "I did go the monster."