Denver Police Tuesday scrambled to catch up with three suspects who got out of a car near East Colfax Avenue, and shot “multiple rounds” into a group of people, killing one and sending four more to the hospital.

Police responded to the 1400 block of Verbena Street at 1:50 p.m. Tuesday after ShotSpotter detected gunshots in the area, said Matt Clark, Denver Police’s Major Crimes Unit division commander at a press conference.

As officers raced to the scene, “there were several calls to our 911 center reporting multiple victims had been shot at that location,” he said.

They found six victims — four men and two women. One man was already dead, four were taken to the hospital. Three were listed in critical condition, Clark said, another suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators admitted they have no idea on a possible motive.

“They were just standing on the sidewalk, no apparent conflict there,” Clark said.

The three suspects drove north on Verbena Street, according to witnesses, stopped at Colfax, got out of the car and started firing handguns at the group. The car raced off east down Colfax. Officers found the car ditched at 12th and Yosemite Streets, Clark said.

“They got into another vehicle, a black SUV,” he said. “That’s the suspect vehicle we believe is most current.”

Police said Verbena is closed from 14th to 16th streets, while Colfax is closed from Uinta to Wabash. East Colfax was reopened at Valentia Street just before 5 p.m.

Officers erected a large white tent, presumably where the shooting occurred, to possibly cover victims and keep the crime scene from view of the general public.

Clark said no reverse 911 calls were issued for area residents because officers knew they had left the area.

Just west of where America’s longest continuous street leads from Denver into Aurora, motels pepper this stretch of East Colfax that crisscrosses residential streets and apartment complexes.

Raquel Valencia, a 13-year resident of the neighborhood, said shootings have become common in the area. It has made her fearful of going out because she doesn’t want to get caught in the crosshairs.

“This isn’t shocking because it happens more than it should,” said Valencia, 52.

As she spoke, she pointed out a city surveillance camera across Verbena Street a few dozen feet away.

She didn’t hear the shootings Monday afternoon because of loud construction next to her building, but found out when her caregiver tried to run an errand for her and saw the police presence.

Valencia said she knows one of the victims, so she didn’t give the man’s full name and she didn’t know his condition.

She suspects the area will get calmer briefly because of the increased police presence. But she said she doesn’t feel like police are always responsive until a major violent incident happens.

“Why does it take something like this to happen?” she said. “Somebody has to lose their life for them to really pay attention.”

When Clark was asked about the area having a high rate of crime, he agreed and said extra resources have been devoted to it.

“This incident occurred within one of the different city’s hot spots (for crime) and just in general that has a higher volume and presence of uniformed patrol officers and undercover officers,” Clark said.

Investigators are looking for a black SUV in connection with the shooting (see picture above). No make and model, or license plate information was provided. Anyone with information should call police via CrimeStoppers at 720-913-7867.