Update: Yesterday, we told you about a homicide on the 1600 block of Bruce Randolph Avenue.
Now, the victim in that case has been identified as Abdul Muhammad, 61.
The age is important to note. In a bizarre and tragic coincidence, the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner confirms that two men named Abdul Muhammad have been slain in Denver so far this year, with the previous one losing his life in a stabbing when he was just 22.
According to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers, the first incident took place on January 16.
At 4:35 a.m. on that day, Denver police officers responded to the 500 block of East Colfax on a report of several parties fighting.
Upon their arrival, they found the younger Abdul Muhammad — his full name was Abdul Jaamal Rahaman Muhammad — suffering from stab wounds.
He was pronounced dead a short time later.
A week later, Crime Stoppers solicited tips about the case at its main number, 720-913-STOP (7867). A reward of up to $2,000 was offered for information in the case, but thus far, no arrests have been made.
Meanwhile, Muhammad's family faced the awful task of laying him to rest.
His online obituary features this photo....
...and the following remembrance:
Born to Waahiydat Kosoko Muhammad (aka Voncena Denise Anderson) on July 2, 1992. Abdul Jaamal Muhammad was a vibrant and lovable baby. As a youth, he was very active and energetic. He loved sports and the arts. He enjoyed drawing, video gaming, and watching action movies. A student at the top of his class, he maintained high scores all throughout grade school, later to graduate with honors from Henry Ford High School in Detroit, Michigan. He was very talented and spiritual. He would preach to anyone willing to listen. About himself, Jaamal wrote: I have many talents but I don’t know how I can exercise all of them. I am a funny person. I love to laugh and make others laugh…I am an extremely creative person, I like to be original and add my own spice to things. I went to Rust College, I was a Computer Science major. After his studies at Rust College in Mississippi, Jaamal served his country as a member of the U.S. Army stationed in San Antonio, TX and Seoul, Korea. He was honored with the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. While very young at the time of his passing, Jaamal touched the lives of many people. He was a very kind hearted young man willing to give his last dollar to a stranger on the street. He enjoyed listening to music and spending time with his loved ones. Jaamal passed from this life to eternal rest on January 16, 2015. Those left to cherish his memory include his older brother; Jaamil Olawale Kosoko of Brooklyn, NY; his aunt, Quandrae Anderson-Sims of Detroit, MI; his cousin, Comika Anderson of Detroit, MI; his Denver family; Myracle Reed, Daniel Reed and Meikelon Reed, all of Denver, CO; as well as many other relatives and numerous friends. Rest in peace… JaamalThus far, little information has emerged about the elder Muhammad beyond confirmation from the coroner's office that the crime took place late Saturday, April 11, on the 1600 block of Bruce Randolph Avenue (other addresses previously shared by authorities proved to be incorrect, as noted below) and the cause of death was a gunshot wound.
Meanwhile, the rising level of violence in the area has raised concerns with members of the neighborhood. We're told that a meeting on the topic will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, at the Tramway Nonprofit Center, 3532 Franklin Street. For more information, visit this Facebook event page.
In the meantime, our condolences to the friends, family and loved ones of both Abdul Muhammads.
Continue for our previous coverage.
Update: Our original post about a homicide on April 11 cited police information placing it just off Martin Luther King Boulevard. Now, however, the Denver Medical Examiner's Office has revealed that the actual crime scene was the 1600 block of Bruce Randolph Avenue. Continue for our previous coverage, with the text tweaked to include the accurate information.
Original post: Last month, one of three gang-related homicides on the same weekend took place near Pontiac and MLK Boulevard.
Saturday night brought another killing, this one on the 1600 block of Bruce Randolph Avenue.
At this writing, no arrests have been made.
The first official word about the shooting came via this Denver Police Department tweet, albeit featuring another address:
Alert: #DPD investigating fatal shooting 3300 Blk Franklin St. Male victim transported to DHMC and later pronounced. No suspect info.
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) April 12, 2015Here's an interactive graphic of the area near the scene. If you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."
View Larger Map
Shortly thereafter, 7News' Chris Morriss (the man behind the camera of the shot at the top of this post) tweeted that scanner traffic stated the victim had been shot in the head.
Thus far, the Denver coroner's office has not released the name of the victim in the incident.
Neither has the DPD shared any information about a possible suspect or suspects.
The same goes for most of the March shootings — something that's sure to make members of the community who spoke out about the last batch of slayings even more concerned.
Oh yeah: There was reportedly another shooting early Sunday morning, around 2 a.m. This one took place near 11th and Broadway, a block from Westword's offices. In that case, fortunately, the victim is expected to survive.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
