Ethan Gurevich was relaxing in his home on Easter Sunday evening with his girlfriend when calm turned to chaos at Russell Square Park in Denver’s Cole neighborhood.
“We’re hanging out in our living room and then suddenly there were gunshots,” Gurevich said Monday as he was getting into his car outside his home at the northwest corner of the park. “From our window, we saw a body lying there.”
Denver police first that two people had been shot in the 3600 block of Vine Street, where the park is located. A woman who was shot died from her injuries, police , while a second person was taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.
Gurevich said the park was crowded with people barbecuing and playing basketball on a pleasant Easter Sunday — a typical sight for a holiday weekend. He said it sounded like a drive-by shooting, with shots ringing out and tires squealing at the same time.
Police have not said how the shooting unfolded.
“It was shocking,” said Gurevich, who grew up in the neighborhood.
Gurevich said his neighbor’s wife, who has some medical expertise and was walking her dog around Russell Square Park at the time shots were fired, performed CPR on the woman who later died. The other person who had been shot was lying on the basketball court, he said. He appeared to be a male, Gurevich said.
An unnamed Denver police spokesperson confirmed Monday that the second victim was a man with unknown injuries, but did not identify him. It’s not clear if the man and woman who died are related. She will be identified by the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner.
At the park at midday Monday, a grill filled with charred steaks and chicken drumsticks indicated a scene that had been quickly vacated. Less than 24 hours after the shooting, children were playing on swings and people were sitting at picnic benches in the park.
“I walk my dog there every day,” said Bobby Grazi, who has lived next to Russell Square Park for four years. “We heard what we thought was fireworks and saw people fleeing and screaming.”
Before long, the park was swarming with police and the whole place was put on lockdown, he said. Grazi said he could see two people lying on the ground.
“I was in shock,” he said.
The police spokesperson declined to answer questions about where and when the shooting took place, how many people were gathered at the park and whether investigators believe the shooting was a targeted attack.
As of Monday morning, Denver investigators were still working to identify suspects, police said.
Angelo Rodriguez said Russell Square Park was filled with families with children on Sunday afternoon, playing Frisbee, cooking food and having a good time. When he took his dog on an evening walk, the shooting had just occurred.
His daughter, he said, heard the gunshots.
“‘I heard a pop-pop-pop and a pop-pop-pop again,'” he recounted her telling him. “Pretty soon the cops were everywhere. A cop on every corner.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 719-913-7867.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
