Gary Chavez ID'd as dead man in possible self-defense shooting on Xanadu Street

Update: At this point, the Denver Police Department continues to characterize a Saturday night shooting at 5545 Xanadu Street as an act of self-defense. Now, however, we know the identity of the man who died in the incident. The Denver coroner's office has ID'd him as Gary Chavez, 51. Cause...

By Michael Roberts

May 23, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Update: At this point, the Denver Police Department continues to characterize a Saturday night shooting at 5545 Xanadu Street as an act of self-defense. Now, however, we know the identity of the man who died in the incident.

The Denver coroner's office has ID'd him as Gary Chavez, 51. Cause of death: a "penetrating gunshot wound of the abdomen."

Although the coroner's office characterizes the incident as a homicide, this designation doesn't mean anything criminal took place. Look below to see our earlier coverage.

Original item, 9:30 a.m. May 23: A reported argument among housemates at 5545 Xanadu Street proved deadly, with Denver Health staffers unable to revive a man transported there on Saturday night after being shot.

However, Denver Police aren't calling the incident a murder. Instead, they characterize it as an act of self-defense.

At this point, neither the dead man nor the alleged shooter has been identified. No charges have been filed to date.

Look below to see an interactive graphic of the area near the scene; if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."

View Larger Map

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo