Data shows there have been at least 56 shootings in Denver metro during 2018 through May 12, resulting in a minimum of 32 deaths and 29 injuries, with few neighborhoods untouched by gun violence. Moreover, these figures almost certainly underestimate the actual number of times triggers have been pulled under potentially criminal circumstances in the area.
Our source is the online Gun Violence Archive, which sets out to document shootings here and across the country in as close to real time as possible. However, the site only counts incidents confirmed by the news media or local police; sources linked to each of the entries below include items from newspapers, TV stations and the Denver Police Department Twitter account.
Given the well-documented decrease in the number of journalists in Denver these days, shootings may go unreported by the press if there are no deaths or injuries — but they'll be referenced by residents on neighborhood apps. While several episodes of gunplay near 36th and Lafayette have been mentioned on Nextdoor in recent days, for example, none of them are cited by the Gun Violence Archive.
Still, the following roster offers an indication of why the homicide rate in Denver is so high even before the warm weather months, when the number of shootings tends to further escalate.
Continue to count down the aforementioned 2018 shootings, complete with approximate addresses and the number of people killed or injured. Some are outside Denver's city limits; Federal Heights, Edgewater and Adams County are all represented. Moreover, the links often provide telling background. Take the first shooting of the year, in which no one was killed or injured — but it was reported because the shots were fired near the State Capitol, resulting in a temporary lockdown.
If the shooting had happened a few blocks away with similar results, most of us would never have heard about it.
Number 56: May 12, 2018
S Navajo St and W Alameda Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 55: May 7, 2018
N Clarkson St and E Colfax Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 2
Number 54: May 5, 2018
44th Ave and Abilene St
Killed: 0
Injured: 2
Number 53: May 5, 2018
S Federal Blvd and W Arkansas Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
Number 52: April 30, 2018
E 20th Ave and N Clarkson St
Killed: 1
Injured: 1
Number 51: April 30, 2018
5800 Tower Rd
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 50: April 28, 2018
7530 Broadway
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 49: April 28, 2018
11920 Washington St
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 48: April 25, 2018
E Colfax Ave and Quebec St
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 47: April 22, 2018
4300 block of W 44th Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 46: April 19, 2018
E 37th Ave and Elizabeth St
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 45: April 13, 2018
E 88th Ave and Corona St
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 44: April 5, 2018
2001 Sheridan Blvd
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 43: April 3, 2018
Lawrence St and 22nd St
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
Number 42: April 3, 2018
15th St and Blake St
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
Number 41: April 1, 2018
757 E 20th Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 40: March 21, 2018
600 block of Lipan Street
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 39: March 21, 2018
Federal Blvd and W 104th Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 38: March 20, 2018
6100 block of E Iliff Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 37: March 19, 2018
E 41st Ave and Colorado Blvd
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 36: March 18, 2018
2400 block of Grove St
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 35: March 18, 2018
3700 block of N Fillmore St
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 34: March 18, 2018
1800 block of W Mosier Place
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 33: March 17, 2018
3500 block of W Colfax Ave
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 32: March 15, 2018
Irving St and W 28th Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
Number 31: March 12, 2018
W Vassar Ave and S Grove St
Killed: 1
Injured: 1
Number 30: February 27, 2018
1000 block of South Grove Street
Killed: 2
Injured: 0
Number 29: February 20, 2018
W Louisiana Ave and S Federal Blvd
Killed: 0
Injured: 2
Number 28: February 20, 2018
5500 block of N Tulsa Way
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 27: February 18, 2018
4500 block of Cornish Way
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 26: February 16, 2018
W 30th Ave and Vallejo St
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 25: February 13, 2018
2200 block of S Clermont St
Killed: 2
Injured: 0
Number 24: February 13, 2018
1870 S High St
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
Number 23: February 6, 2018
1800 block of S Alcott St
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 22: February 6, 2018
W Mississippi Ave and S Federal Blvd
Killed: 0
Injured: 2
Number 21: February 6, 2018
8282 E Colfax Ave
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 20: February 4, 2018
18605 Green Valley Ranch Blvd
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 19: February 3, 2018
West 38th Avenue and Julian Street
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 18: February 3, 2018
13100 block of E Elgin Pl
Killed: 2
Injured: 1
Number 17: February 2, 2018
1600 block of E 78th Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
Number 16: January 30, 2018
21st Street and Arapahoe Street
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 15: January 28, 2018
6677 Leetsdale Drive
Killed: 2
Injured: 1
Number 14: January 27, 2018
4888 W Colfax Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 13: January 26, 2018
4500 block of Paris St
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 12: January 26, 2018
350 S Federal Blvd
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 11: January 25, 2018
E 27th Ave and Saint Paul St
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 10: January 24, 2018
8700 block of Dawson Street
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 9: January 24, 2018
180 84th Ave
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
Number 8: January 21, 2018
1500 block of S Albion St
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 7: January 16, 2018
7520 Broadway
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
The 800 block of South Federal Boulevard.
Google Maps
800 S Federal Blvd
Killed: 1
Injured: 0
Number 5: January 9, 2018
E 37th Ave and Race St
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 4: January 8, 2018
1505 S Federal Blvd
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 3: January 6, 2018
E Colfax Ave and Spruce St
Killed: 0
Injured: 1
Number 2: January 5, 2018
3759 Chestnut Place
Killed: 2
Injured: 0
Number 1: January 4, 2018
Colfax Ave and Sherman St
Killed: 0
Injured: 0
