Four men were killed and five wounded in three unrelated incidents during a span of two hours Sunday morning, the deadliest string of crime in Denver in 11 years.
Police on Sunday were still trying to sort out what happened at each scene, although they said the combination of alcohol and firearms had proved deadly.
Detectives interviewed more than 75 witnesses, but no one has been arrested in any of the shootings, said Denver Chief of Investigations Dave Fisher.
“We know there are people in this community who know what happened in these very violent attacks on young people,” Fisher said. “We are very troubled and disturbed by this.”
About 12:40 a.m. Sunday, police were called to 460 Quitman Street after four people were shot during a large Halloween party.
Two groups of men were arguing when the shots were fired, Fisher said. Three males, one 22 and two 17, were wounded and went to St. Anthony Central Hospital.
A 23-year-old man died at Denver Health Medical Center.
None of the victims’ names in any of the shootings was released by Sunday night, as police were waiting until all relatives could be notified. The survivors’ conditions also were unavailable.
Another shooting occurred at 1:33 a.m. at 2091 S. King Street.
“It was a large party with lots of young people, with alcohol, celebrating Halloween,” Fisher said.
There was an argument, and shots were exchanged.
Three men, two of them 22 and one of them 23, were shot, police said. Two died.
On Sunday evening, six people were busy cleaning up on King Street, but they declined to talk about what had happened.
Two large, clear-plastic bags full of beer bottles and orange plastic cups were stacked on the street next to a trash can and two bales of hay.
Another fatal shooting occurred at 1:18 a.m. – after clocks were turned back one hour at the end of daylight-saving time – in the drive-through at a Burger King at 49th and Federal Boulevard.
About 15 to 25 men surrounded a car and attacked two men inside, firing shots at them, police said.
A 19-year-old man was killed. The other victim, 20, was wounded and sent home from a hospital. Neither of those victims was from Denver.
The motive is not known.
Shattered bits of glass littered the parking lot on the north side of the restaurant Sunday afternoon.
None of the deaths appeared to involve gangs, Fisher said.
The addresses of the homicides did not have a history of trouble, with the exception of a disturbance call at the Quitman address in August, Fisher said.
“I can’t stress enough the common denominator at these party scenes when you mix alcohol and firearms. Parents need to talk to their children and young adults,” Fisher said.
Four homicides had not occurred in separate incidents in one night in Denver since six people were killed one night in 1994. On Aug. 7, 2003, four people were killed and two wounded in a single robbery.
Sunday’s fatal shootings bring the number of homicides in Denver this year to 57, still lower than the 91 murders in 2004.
The same number of officers who typically work Halloween weekend were on duty Sunday morning, Fisher said
Detectives spent most of the morning Sunday going from stressful call to call, but Fisher said it doesn’t amount to the pain and suffering the families of the victims are feeling.
“I have three teenage sons,” he said, “and I can’t begin to imagine the grief inflicted on these families.”
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
