DENVER — Nearly 20 people were hurt and at least three others killed in shootings across Denver this past week, according to the Denver Police Department.
The most recent shooting happened on Saturday night near E. 35th Avenue and Forest Street and E. Thrill Place and Hudson Street in Park Hill.
Police said two victims were located at the scene. They said a third victim brought themselves to the hospital sometime later.
On Sunday morning, police announced one of the victims, an adult man, died from his injuries. Police continue to gather information. So far, no arrests have been made.
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The shooting follows several other shootings that occurred in Denver over the last several days. They include the mass shooting early Tuesday morning near 20th and Market streets in downtown Denver.
Police said nine people were injured around 12:30 a.m. when a gunman opened fire while people were celebrating the Denver Nuggets’ victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. In addition to the nine victims, police said the 22-year-old suspect was also injured.
Later that day, police said two people were shot and killed during a road rage incident on Interstate 25 between W. 6th and W. 8th avenues. Family members identified the two victims as 21-year-old Blake Lucas and 22-year-old Damon Lucas.
Family members say they were brothers who were on their way to a job interview when the shooting occurred. Police arrested a 25-year-old man for the double homicide.
On Thursday, two people were injured in a shooting downtown at 17th and Curtis. No arrests have been made. Police say both victims are expected to survive.
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Other shootings with injuries over the last week were reported at 21st and Lawrence and 15th and Tremont Place. In all, at least 19 people were injured in various shootings, according to police.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas says shootings happen far too often.
“Unfortunately, we have again, far too many guns in our society, far too many individuals that act irresponsibly with guns,” said Thomas. “And that’s certainly something that we as a community need to continue to address.”
Denver7 dug through police crime data and found 37% of violent crimes reported this year, which include murders, aggravated assaults, robberies, and non-consensual sexual offenses, involved firearms, mostly handguns.
Over a quarter of the offenders that police arrested were aged 24 and younger. Just over a third were between the ages of 25 and 34.
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Denver Mayor Michael Hancock says too many young people have become emboldened.
“We got to look and understand that our young people are getting their hands on guns,” Hancock said at a press conference Thursday with Chief Thomas. “They don’t know how to solve crises or challenges by having a conversation. They’re shooting at one another. And it makes absolutely no sense.”
In addition to easy access to guns, Denver city councilman-elect Darrell Watson said he believes there’s another contributor to the violence.
“There is a crisis with guns, but for our youth, we need to look at the root cause, and many of the root causes are because of mental health,” said Watson, who vowed to work on improving mental health access once he takes office.
In the first five months of 2023, nearly 3,100 violent crimes were reported, a number on par with last year at this time. However, violent crime has risen significantly over the past decade.
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According to police crime data, violent crime rose 81% from 2014 to 2022 in Denver. Hancock said Denver is not the only city experiencing a surge in violence.
He blames much of the recent violence on “a prolific fentanyl and drug trade” that he says is happening all over the country.
“We have not been immune to it,” Hancock said.
Hancock will leave office next month. He will be succeeded by Mayor-elect Mike Johnston, who has pledged to put 200 more first responders on the streets, including more community-based police officers.
Johnston described these officers as those who would walk beats in neighborhoods talking to residents and business owners.
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New York Knicks (9-7, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (9-6, fifth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Monday, 9 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets host the New York Knicks in a non-conference matchup.
The Nuggets have gone 5-3 at home. Denver ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 12.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 4.4.
The Knicks are 4-5 in road games. New York ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference allowing only 112.4 points while holding opponents to 47.3% shooting.
The Nuggets are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.5 percentage points higher than the 47.3% the Knicks allow to opponents. The Knicks average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Nuggets allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Nuggets.
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Jalen Brunson is averaging 25.1 points and 7.4 assists for the Knicks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 118.4 points, 45.5 rebounds, 31.6 assists, 8.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.7 points per game.
Knicks: 6-4, averaging 120.3 points, 42.9 rebounds, 29.9 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.5 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).
Knicks: Precious Achiuwa: out (hamstring), Miles McBride: day to day (knee), Mitchell Robinson: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Could the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 1 scoring option team up with a two-time league MVP?
According to Paul Pierce, it’s possible.
On a recent episode of “Ticket & The Truth,” the former Boston Celtics star suggested a move from Brooklyn to the Denver Nuggets for Cam Thomas to provide the 2023 NBA Champions with a depth boost.
“Alright, let me put my GM hat on,” Pierce said. “I think right now, for Cam, I’d like to see him off the bench for Denver. …Because they need that spark plug off the bench.”
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He may want to take that hat off.
The Nuggets do not have an asset they’d be willing to part ways with that would entice the Nets enough to move off of a 23-year-old who’s turning in over 24 points per game. And even if Denver were to offer a king’s ransom of draft capital, as long as Nikola Jokic is healthy a Nuggets’ choice will never hold much value.
Oct 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets small guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
When reports suggested Thomas could be available in negotiations, they didn’t mean Brooklyn was looking to give him away. The return would have to warrant the transaction, and a hypothetical package consisting of Christian Braun and two first-round picks (no offense Christian) won’t be enough to entice Sean Marks.
The Nets shouldn’t look to move Thomas until a can’t-say-no deal emerges. Until then, let him continue to drop nearly 25 a night on the opposition and revisit any potential thoughts of trading the electrifying scorer at February’s deadline.
Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Mike Johnston, the Democrat mayor of Denver, has stated that he will urge citizens to oppose the mass deportations of migrants that President-elect Donald Trump has planned in Colorado. This comes as local authorities in “sanctuary cities” have started organising how to handle the issue.
Mike Johnston, mayor of Denver, Colorado, stated that he is prepared to serve time in prison in order to halt any attempts at deportation.(Bloomberg)
Speaking to Denver’s station 9, Johnston, 50, stated that he is prepared to serve time in prison in order to halt any attempts at deportation.
Calling it a “Tiananmen Square moment,” the mayor of Denver has pledged to use local police and 50,000 citizens “stationed at the county line” to protect migrants residing in his sanctuary city from Trump’s mass deportation.
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“More than us having [federal agents] stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” he stated.
“It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment … right?” Johnston asked, making a reference to the well-known conflict between a Chinese student and a government tank at Tiananmen Square, China, during the 1989 uprising.
“You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants,” he continued, adding that “And you do not want to mess with them,” recalling the time when Denver people were reportedly ready to fight the federal government to the death.
Mike Johnston faces flak for his warning
Danielle Jurinsky (R), a councilwoman for Aurora City, told The Post that Johnston’s strategy will simply highlight his ineffectiveness in one of the nation’s so-called sanctuary cities, which deter or prohibit local officials from assisting federal immigration investigators in migrant cases.
“Aurora does not plan to provide the Trump administration any assistance, as far as I know, but we will certainly not stand in the way of what the American people voted for,” he stated.
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Also Read: Trump border Czar Tom Homan issues fresh warning to President-elect’s critics, illegal migrants: ‘You got a problem’
After Johnston compared his endeavor to Tiananmen Square, Xi Van Fleet, a Chinese survivor of Mao’s revolution, lambasted him on Thursday, telling Fox Business that he is “either profoundly ignorant of the history, or he did the false analogy on purpose.”
Elon Musk, who Trump just appointed to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), also reacted to Johnston’s warning, saying that it demonstrates “the mayor of Denver hates his constituents.”
Trump’s border czar speaks out
Tom Homan, Trump’s choice for “border czar,” told The Post that he hopes the incoming government will sue sanctuary communities and stop providing them with federal funds.
He claimed that if they don’t alter their stand, the Trump government will “flood” certain communities with Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel to stay outside local prison for the release of illegal migrants.
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Johnston declared that he would not permit local law enforcement to help the federal government apprehend undocumented migrants.
“Absolutely not,” Johnston remarked. “We won’t do it.”
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