Weekend Violence in Metro Denver: Five Dead in Eight Shootings

At least eight shootings took place over the weekend, resulting in five deaths and numerous injuries. Five of the incidents were within Denver city limits, while others occurred in Aurora, Adams County and Louisville, where an officer-involved shooting ended with a death.

The Denver Police Department's Twitter account sent out the first weekend alert of a shooting at 2:26 a.m. October 22, for the 2200 block of East Buchtel Boulevard, near the University of Denver. Authorities later confirmed that a juvenile male victim had died as a result of his wounds. An update at 11:34 a.m. noted that two adult males had been arrested in association with the incident — 21-year-old Emilio Gomez for investigation of first-degree murder and eighteen-year-old Josiah Cruz on suspicion of being an accessory to first-degree murder.

Another fatal shooting occurred on the 1600 block of South Beach Court, in the Ruby Hill neighborhood, according to a tweet at 11:45 p.m. that night. Initially, only one victim was located, but an update at 11:32 a.m. on October 23 revealed that three individuals had suffered gunshot injuries; an adult male was pronounced dead at an area hospital, while two adult females were expected to survive.

At 2:12 a.m. on October 23, DPD officers were on the scene of another shooting — this one near the intersection of 20th and Larimer streets. A single victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the department reported.

Later that morning, at 11:31 a.m., Denver police sent out a tweet about an inquiry into an "overnight" shooting on the 3500 block of West Custer Place, in the Westwood neighborhood. The adult male victim was able to self-transport to a nearby hospital with gunshot injuries. And at 3:02 p.m. on October 23, DPD officers were looking into a shooting on the 4000 block of Albion Street, in the Northeast Park Hill neighborhood. The victim was transported to a hospital with "unknown" injuries.

The Aurora Police Department used its Twitter account to report a shooting on the 4100 block of South Mobile Circle that took place around 2:08 p.m. on October 23; a later release about the episode said that a 47-year-old woman who had been shot in a residence in the Mission Viejo neighborhood died of her wounds.

The Adams County Sheriff's Office dealt with a homicide, too. At 4:25 a.m., the ACSO tweeted that deputies and detectives had raced to the 100 block of East 70th Avenue following 911 calls about shots fired at a house party — and they were deadly. One teen was killed, and two others were injured

At 1:40 p.m. on October 23, the Louisville Police Department used its Facebook page to share information about a shooting earlier that day. At 6:29 a.m., LPD officers had been dispatched to a home on the 300 block of East Street regarding a domestic-violence report. There, they encountered a 57-year-old male who allegedly waved "a large butcher knife" at officers; they observed blood and possible knife wounds on the man. "In response to the male's threats toward the officers, three Louisville Police Officers returned fire at the individual resulting in his death," the announcement states. The circumstances of the shooting are currently being examined by the Boulder County Investigation Team, staffed by members of assorted Boulder County law-enforcement agencies and the district attorney's office.

Those with information about any of these incidents can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).