Presumed bystander shot in crossfire at Broadway and Colfax

By Kyla Pearce November 11, 2022 | updated 4 years ago

Officials said multiple groups were engaged in an argument near an encampment on the northeast corner of Broadway Street and Colfax Avenue when one person shot another at 3:50 p.m. on Dec. 30.
Courtesy of Metro Denver Crime Stoppers

A woman presumed to be a bystander was shot Friday afternoon at Colfax and Broadway, a day after city and state leaders announced a new initiative that seeks to restore the public’s faith in the safety of the downtown area.

The recent shooting — the latest in a spate of violence that has cast a pall over metro Denver in the last several weeks — serves as yet another reminder of the gravity of the public safety challenge officials face.

Police received a ShotSpotter report at 1:16 p.m. Friday and an employee of the RTD informed them a woman had been shot.

Investigators believe two suspects exchanged fire and then fled. Police believe the woman was a bystander and was caught in the crossfire. She was transported to the hospital and her injury appears to be not life-threatening, the police said.

Police do not have the suspects in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.

The intersection of Broadway and Colfax Avenue, located just one block from the Colorado Capitol, is among the busiest in the city. The shooting is one of many recent violent incidents in downtown Denver.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, along with other city and state leaders, on Thursday unveiled a new public safety initiative that includes hiring more officers and prosecutors and expanding Support Team Assisted Response — or STAR — unit.

The initiative is a partnership between the Denver Police Department, RTD police, the Downtown Denver Partnership and other members of law enforcement. Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas, RTD Chief of Police Joel Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan, Attorney General Phil Weiser and Downtown Denver Partnership President and CEO Kourtney Garret joined Hancock in announcing the new effort.

Hancock acknowledged the struggles downtown Denver faces, which he attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed hope that the new safety initiative will ease the burden of those living and working there.

“We’re going to start this work here and around the Colorado Convention Center and along the nearby corridor, but this effort will gradually expand to the entire downtown area,” Hancock said. “This will provide a rapid response to these lingering challenges.”

The challenges plaguing downtown Denver include a rise in crime rates, trash piling up and the need to connect people with help, according to Hancock. Several other issues have magnified these challenges, including a decline in patrol officers on the street.

In response, Hancock’s proposed 2023 budget includes a provision that expands the number of patrol officers by 140. The proposed police patrol budget totals almost $136 million next year, an increase of about 4% or $5.3 million.

The last few weeks had been deadly in metro Denver. Just last month, a shooting left one dead and five more people hospitalized. In Lakewood, an apartment fire that police suspect as arson killed a mother and daughter. Authorities also launched a double homicide investigation in Denver after a shooting left two dead. A woman was fatally shot in an attempted carjacking in Boulder County. An Aurora crash involving a stolen vehicle also left a dozen injured, including a 12-year-old, who ultimately died of her injuries.

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Tags Colfax And Broadway Crime Rates Denver Police Department Downtown Denver Crime Michael Hancock Rtd Shooting Support Team Assisted Response

Kyla Pearce

Reporter

Denver Gazette

Presumed bystander shot in crossfire at Broadway and Colfax

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