Police say three of the victims were attacked in separate assaults on Saturday, January 11, between 5 and 6 p.m., along the mall at Tremont, California and Lawrence streets. The fourth victim was stabbed just after 8 p.m. on Sunday at 16th and Wynkoop streets. Two of the victims died from their injuries: Celinda Levno, a 71-year-old Arizona flight attendant who was in Denver for a layover, and 34-year-old Nicholas Burkett.
Elijah Caudill, 24, was arrested in connection with the stabbings on January 12. On Friday, January 17, the Denver District Attorney charged Caudill with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts
of assault in connection to the attack
“Our thoughts are with the victims of these terrible attacks and their families. The Denver DA’s office will prosecute this case to the full extent of the law. Particular thanks and appreciation are due to the prosecutors handling the case, as well as the officers and detectives with the Denver Police Department,” Denver's newly sworn-in District Attorney John Walsh said in a statement.
Police say they chased him down after he allegedly attacked the fourth victim. Caudill is a Colorado native previously arrested for unlawful sexual contact in 2024, felony theft and property damage in 2023, and assault in 2022 and 2021, according to court records. He was last released from jail in November.
The senseless murders have shaken downtown Denver, but they're far from the first acts of violence committed on the 16th Street Mall.
Denver police say they are increasing their presence on the mall following the weekend's deadly attacks.
"We will continue that presence for the foreseeable future," Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said during a press conference Monday, January 13. "Assigned posts on the mall, in and around the mall, foot patrols, bicycle patrols, motorcycles and vehicles. ... We do intend to announce some things very soon, some other things we are going to do to address the perception of safety."
Public perception of safety is a key concern for city leadership following the attacks. Thomas and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston held Monday's press conference at the site of one of the fatal stabbings, at the corner of 16th and Lawrence streets, beneath the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower.
"This is an isolated, exceedingly rare incident," Johnston said. "We have not seen random acts of violence like this in our city center for as long as we can remember. ... It's important for folks to know that this is not a systemic or ongoing problem."
Not everyone approved of the rhetoric during the press conference. One man passing by screamed and cursed at the mayor, calling him a "coward" and shouting, "This is your fault! Crime-loving Democrats are burning this city down! ... The city is burning! People are being butchered!"
Johnston brushed off the critique as coming from "a political agenda."
"In all cities, you have tragedies like this," Johnston said. "We do not want it to change the way people feel about downtown."
Crime on 16th Street Mall in Denver
In the past six months, there have been 65 violent crimes reported within a block of the mall, from 15th to 17th streets between Wewatta Street and Broadway, according to the Denver Police Department's crime map. That includes one other murder, twenty aggravated assaults, nine robberies and 35 incidents classified as "crimes against persons," which can include rape, kidnapping, stalking, hazing and other offenses.Denver's overall crime rate decreased in 2024: There were 71,531 reported crimes last year, compared to 75,490 in 2023 and 77,851 in 2022, according to police department data. However, that drop is largely due to a decrease in property crime. Violent crime saw a slight uptick.
There were 6,450 reports of violent crimes in Denver in 2024, up from 6,416 the year before. Year-over-year reports of murders and sexual assaults both decreased in 2024 — by 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively — but robberies and aggravated assaults increased, by 2 percent and 1 percent.
Violent crime reports rose in Denver every year between 2014 and 2022 before finally improving in 2023, according to data from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Violent crime peaked in the city in 2022, with 8,182 reports of murders, assaults, sex offenses and robberies.
"The success of the last year is critically important," Johnston added. "We know that there is work to do. We also know that downtown Denver is getting more vibrant and more safe every day."
The Downtown Denver Partnership is urging visitors and residents to report any suspicious activity on the mall to 911.
"In the face of this unimaginable tragedy, we must come together in pursuit of a safer downtown for all," the nonprofit said in a statement on Monday. "A safe environment is of the highest importance to all of us at the Downtown Denver Partnership, and we — together with our partners at DPD and the City — remain wholly focused on the safety of our center city. We do not tolerate violence of any kind downtown."
