Mark Marquise Davis boasted that he had gone to East 37th Avenue and Columbine Street to shoot “Tre Tre” Gangster Crips, according to an arrest affidavit, but instead he shot two young sisters.
Davis appeared in court Friday where he was told he is being held for investigation of attempted murder. His bail is set at $400,000.
He was arrested Thursday morning at a store where he worked, a day after the shooting. In a subsequent interview with police, Davis denied he was involved in the shooting, according to court documents.
He said he was playing football at the time of the shooting. Then he went to his house in the 3300 block of Jasmine Street, where he said he slept the entire night, Davis told police.
But Detective Todd Bonfante, who wrote the affidavit, said police acted on information from an informant who said Davis boasted how he was riding in a stolen car when he emptied the entire gun magazine during the drive-by shooting.
Witnesses told police that just before the bullets hit Karina Padilla, 14, and Yazmine Sandate, 6, one of the three people in the car yelled out either “What’s up G” or “What’s up East.”
Police said that “What’s up G” would identify the individuals as members of the Homicide Gangsters and “What’s up East” would identify them as members of the Eastside Hood gang.
The girls were sitting near the rear patio of their residence in the 2800 block of East 37th Avenue when struck by the bullets, according to police.
Yazmine was wounded in the leg and Karina in the pelvic area. Both were in good condition Friday at Children’s Hospital.
The shooting occurred at the Dispersed North East Homes complex. The family has moved out and has been taken by The Denver Housing Authority to a comparable apartment in the city.
Bonfante said that Davis told police he was not a gang member but conceded he “hangs/ runs/associates” with members of the Homicide Gangsters. He also said, according to the detective, that he might have been in a stolen Dodge Stratus several days before the shooting.
Witnesses told police that those involved in the drive-by were in a Dodge Stratus. They said it pulled into an alley, stopped, and one of the three men opened fire. One resident said he fled as the gunfire erupted and felt a bullet graze his jersey. Several hours later, a Dodge Stratus was found by police and identified by witnesses as the car used by the three men.
Inside the car was a spent shell casing on the driver’s side floorboard, according to the affidavit.
Bonfante said police received their information about Davis through a tip called into Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. The tipster said that Davis bragged about the shooting, even though Davis knew he hit a child. The tipster also told police where Davis lived and said that Davis owns the 9mm pistol used in the shooting and said Davis kept it in different places in the home on Jasmine Street.
Police said the informant told them that Davis hangs out with a member of the Homicide Gangsters. It was that man that Davis said he was playing football with at the time of the shooting.
Police spokesman Detective John White said detectives are still investigating whether Davis’ associate may have been involved in the shooting.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
