The family of the 18-year-old Army enlistee who was gunned down in Commerce City late Sunday night is pleading for clues from the community that might help solve the case.
Dijoun Quinn, a recent graduate of Adams City High School, was shot multiple times as he walked along the 6500 block of Holly Street around 9:30 p.m., according to police.
Commerce City police held a news conference today with the teen’s grandfather Leander Quinn; grandmother Saunder Campbell; and mother, Keona Miller.
Police said Dijoun Quinn was not involved in any crime they are aware of and they don’t believe he was involved in any gang activity.
“What we have here laid out in front of us is a puzzle. The problem is, we don’t have every piece,” Officer Chris Dickey, Commerce City police, said. “We think there are members of the community, in the outlying communities, who have those pieces.”
The family displayed a large posterboard at the conference that read “WE WILL MISS U” and was covered in hand-written notes.
“You’ve been taken way too young. Our prayers,” read one note.
Another person wrote: “Good guy like you don’t deserve what happened.”
Leander Quinn said he raised his grandson since the boy was about 3 months old.
“I kept him busy so he wouldn’t get himself into trouble,” Quinn said.
Quinn said the family dealt with normal family troubles and described his grandson as a normal teenager who loved sports, especially baseketball, baseball and football.
Two basketballs covered in signatures were on display, along with a large, left-foot sneaker with the note, “Keep it real big brother” written on it. Baby photos of Dijoun Quinn were also on display.
“He was making the right choices in life. Somebody came and ended all that for him,” Leander Quinn said.
Quinn said he knew his grandson’s friends and said they were all good kids, adding that Dijoun never stayed out late. He said it was his grandson’s choice to enlist in the Army.
“I’ve never had the police come to my door looking for Dijoun. He always thought he had to protect me and he did. He loved his papa,” Leander Quinn added.
Quinn was very emotional at the news conference as he begged the community for help finding the person or people responsible for his grandson’s murder.
“Someone please help this family with some type of closure, with some kind of understanding,” Quinn said.
Dijoun’s grandmother Saunder Campbell, added: “Somebody knows what happened, and we know that.”
Anyone with information can call Detective Bryan VanderMeer at 303-289-3629 or the Commerce City Tip Line at 303-289-3626.
