A man who got into a fatal shootout with a 12-year-old boy who allegedly stole his car earlier this month will not face charges, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

The shooting happened Feb. 5 on West 10th Avenue. Police said the car’s owner had reported it stolen from the 8300-block of E. Northfield Blvd. and tracked it with an app to the intersection of West 12th Avenue and North Decatur Street.

When the owner approached the car, he reported exchanging gunfire with at least one person inside, according to police. Witnesses said that a group of people fled the car after Elias Armstrong was shot and could be heard yelling “We love you, bro.”

The 12-year-old then drove the car to the 2900 block of West 10th Avenue, where officers found him with a gunshot wound, police said. It appeared that additional occupants inside the stolen car ran away when it stopped.

Armstrong was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead. A celebration of life will be held at the Pipkin Braswell Funeral Home Friday, Feb. 24.

Armstrong was a sixth grader at Bruce Randolph Elementary where students released balloons in his memory just days after he was killed.

The Denver District Attorney’s office said Thursday that they won’t be filing charges in connection with the case. The office said they don’t believe they could meet their obligation to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury.

Denver Gazette’s news partners 9News contributed to this report. 9news.com