DENVER — A shooting in downtown Denver amid fans celebrating the Nuggets’ first NBA championship win was likely sparked by a drug deal gone wrong, police said Tuesday.
All of the injured — nine men, one woman — are expected to survive, including five or six people that police believe were bystanders not involved in the drug deal, Chief Ron Thomas said at a news conference.
A total of five handguns were found by investigators but testing still needs to be done to determine whether they were used at the shooting, the police chief said.
Of the 10 people taken to the hospital, four underwent emergency surgery at the same time at Denver Health Medical Center.
The Nuggets’ win drew thousands of people downtown and the shooting happened as the celebration was winding down after midnight, authorities said.
Scott D’Angelo was livestreaming the celebrations when he heard several loud pops one after another, sparking pandemonium as people dove for cover or jumped over cement barricades.
Crouching on the ground, the 58-year-old said his arms were shaking with nerves and he felt an asthma attack coming.
The firing stopped after roughly 20 seconds, D’Angelo said after consulting his footage, which he has handed over to investigators.
Two men are being held on suspicion of being felons who are barred from having a firearm, said Clark, the police commander.
The other was arrested in a car in a parking lot across the street from the shooting after police found a firearm hidden in its floorboards, Clark said.
The gunfire broke out in downtown Denver’s LoDo district, which is known for its restaurants and nightlife.