Drugs were at the bottom of a midday shooting at the intersection of Fairfax and Forest streets in Thornton that left the victim hospitalized and three men in police custody, police say.
The 18-year-old male victim was taken to St. Anthony Central Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening after several neighbors reported hearing gunshots at 12:33 p.m.
The victim was standing near his truck at the intersection when a group of people pulled up in a dark-colored sport utility vehicle, said Matt Barnes, spokesman for the Thornton Police Department.
A passenger allegedly jumped out of SUV and opened fire, hitting the victim in the left wrist and upper right arm. The injured man then ran to his home nearby at 12757 Fairfax Street, where police discovered him.
Witnesses described the vehicle and license plate number to authorities, who tracked it to a home in the 6500 block of East 120th Place in unincorporated Adams County.
The stories of the men now in custody vary, though the motive appears to be drug related, Barnes said. The victim possibly owed the men money, according to some accounts.
Police have not yet discovered which of the three men — if any — pulled the trigger or if there were more than three passengers in the shooter’s vehicle.
They are not releasing the name of the victim at this time.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
