A man believed responsible for two shootings in the Stapleton area earlier this week had no apparent motive other than injuring or killing the victims, police say.
“It appears there was no motive in either shooting,” said Lt. Ron Saunier, Denver police spokesman. “Each of these were random. The victims did not know the suspect.”
The shootings are being investigated as possible gang initiations, Saunier said. The department’s gang unit is investigating, along with numerous other detectives, he said.
“We’re taking it very seriously,” Saunier said. “We’ve got someone out there who is victimizing people, and we need to get him stopped.”
The suspect is described as a white or Latino man in his late teens or early 20s, between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-10, with a red bandanna or scarf covering his face.
Both shootings happened near the Wal-Mart in Quebec Square, where a passenger in a car was fatally shot Thursday after the vehicle he was in was carjacked. Police do not believe this third shooting was linked to the first two.
In the first incident, a woman was shot Sunday at 11:15 p.m. in the 3600 block of North Central Park Boulevard as she was waiting at a red light. The suspect fled in a gold SUV, Saunier said.
Police originally reported the second shooting, which happened at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 2900 block of North Central Park Boulevard, as a possible carjacking.
However, it is now believed that the only intent by the suspect was to shoot a motorist, Saunier said.
In both cases, the suspect did not demand money or attempt to take the cars, Saunier said.
“All we can prove at this point is aggravated first-degree assault,” he said. “We’re trying our hardest to solve them.”
Police left fliers in the neighborhood today warning people about the assaults. Extra patrols of police officers will go in the area tonight for Halloween.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
