Denver celebrates as Nuggets take home 1st NBA title
Huge crowds filled downtown Denver on Monday night, after the Nuggets squeezed past the Miami Heat for a frantic 94-89 victory in Game 5 of the NBA finals. This is the first time the Denver Nuggets have won the NBA championship. (June 13)
AP
Ten people were injured in a shooting Tuesday in Denver in what investigators suspect started as a drug deal as basketball fans celebrated the Nuggets’ first NBA championship win, police said.
Denver police said the shooting took place at about 12:30 a.m. — just over three hours after the game — and was within a mile of Ball Arena, where the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat on Monday night.
The 10 people wounded included a suspected shooter, 22-year-old Ricardo Vazquez, who was taken into custody after a police chase, according to authorities. One other suspect, 33-year-old Raoul Jones, was also taken into custody after he was located in a vehicle near the scene.
Vazquez is being held on investigation of possession of a weapon by a previous Offender and possession of a controlled substance, Denver Police Department Commander Matt Clark said at a Tuesday news conference. Jones is being held on investigation of possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
Clark said additional charges may be pursued as the investigation continues.
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What happened in the Denver shooting?
Denver Police Department officers were patrolling downtown Denver’s LoDo district, an area known for its restaurants and nightlife, as revelers celebrated the Nuggets’ win, Clark said.
At about 12:30 a.m., officers heard “a number of shots fired” and found multiple people injured by gunfire, Clark said.
Other officers “located and detained individuals who were believed to be involved in the incident,” he said.
One suspect, Vazquez, fled on foot and was chased by officers before being taken into custody, Clark said. Vazquez suffered from a non-life-threatening, gunshot wound and was hospitalized.
Investigators believe multiple firearms were discharged and at least 20 rounds were fired at the scene.
Police also “made contact” with occupants of a vehicle that was parked across the street and believed to be involved in the shooting, Clark said. Officers recovered five firearms at the scene, including one in the floorboard of the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Investigators are working to determine which of the firearms was discharged.
None of the occupants of the vehicle were injured, Clark said.
The larger crowds of people celebrating “were beginning to disperse” at the time of the shooting, he said.
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Trauma surgeon: All victims in ‘fair condition’
All 10 of the people injured are expected to survive, including five or six individuals police believe were bystanders not involved in the suspected drug deal that may have led up to the shooting, Police Chief Ron Thomas said Tuesday.
Of the wounded, nine were men and one was a woman, Clark said, adding that investigators are still working to determine how each person may have been connected to the shooting.
All patients were in “fair condition” Tuesday, Denver Health Medical Center trauma surgeon Dr. Eric Campion said.
Police initially said three of the victims were in critical condition.
Denver shooting likely had ‘drug nexus,’ police officials say
Investigators believe a drug deal gone awry may have led to the shooting after police found “a significant quantity of fentanyl pills in the area that were bundled in several bags,” Clark said. While searching Vazquez, officers recovered a firearm and suspected fentanyl pills.
“We’re still working to understand the motive that ultimately led to the shooting but in this case, there appears to be a drug nexus,” Clark said.
Clark asked members of the public to contact police with any information they know and to send any videos taken from the scene.
“We are aware there’s multiple videos that are out there,” he said.
Armando Saldate III, Denver’s executive director of public safety, expressed concern about gun violence during Tuesday’s news conference, saying “such a great event was marred by some senseless acts of violence.”
“It was a very chaotic scene,” Saldate said. “I’ve seen a lot of command posts in my 30 years in this business and this was one of the more chaotic scenes.”
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
