(June 20) On Sunday June 20, 2021 at
approximately 4:19 a.m., the Public Safety Dispatch Center (PSDC) received at
least 50 calls for service reporting shots being fired or an active shooter in
a shopping mall parking lot located at 12455 East Mississippi Avenue.
Upon officer’s arrival to the scene they were
confronted with a very large crowd where they located an adult male suffering
from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers began Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
(CPR) on the adult male until he was transported to a nearby hospital.
Tragically, he later succumbed to his injuries. His name is not being released
at this time, but will be released by the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office once
he has been positively identified and his next of kin have been notified.
Four additional victims, three adult males and
one adult female, self-transported to area hospitals. Their injuries range from
minor to serious, but not life threatening.
Information provided to investigators at this
time has revealed there was a Juneteenth celebration in an unnamed unit of the
shopping mall. At some point earlier in the evening presumed organizers of the
celebration began denying access to the unit. This led many attendees to gather
in the parking lot.
It is currently unknown who organized the
gathering, or the name of the establishment in the unnamed unit. That is
information investigators will aim to determine in their ongoing investigation.
Crime Scene Investigators continue to process
the scene and have collected more than 114 shell casings as of this writing.
Early information indicates there were multiple shooters involved in this
incident. Investigators continue to interview witnesses to determine accurate
suspect descriptions which will be shared publicly once known.
This scene is expected to be active much of the
day and will disrupt businesses operational capacity during this time. If
you have a vehicle at the scene inside of the crime scene, please call PSCD to
get further information on how you can retrieve or access your vehicle if
needed while the crime scene is active.
We are asking anyone who has any information
related to this incident to share their tips with Metro Denver Crime Stoppers
at 720.913.STOP. Their tips can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a
reward of up to $2,000.00
Officer Crystal McCoy
Public Information Officer
720.432.5095