One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting late Saturday night in southeast Denver during a gathering celebrating the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to police.
The shooting occurred around 11 p.m. near East Hampden Avenue and South Galena Street, where a crowd had gathered in a shopping plaza parking lot. Denver police said the event was tied to celebrations following a U.S. operation that removed Maduro from power after years of political, economic, and humanitarian turmoil in Venezuela.
Authorities initially reported one victim taken to the hospital. By Sunday morning, police confirmed three additional victims, bringing the total to four. In an afternoon update, investigators said the person who died was a 16-year-old male. Another victim remains in critical condition, while the conditions of the remaining two victims have not been disclosed.
Police said two of the injured individuals were transported to hospitals by private vehicles. The deceased teen was later found inside a vehicle near Iliff Avenue and Havana Street, where he was pronounced dead.
No suspect information has been released, and the investigation remains ongoing.
A local food truck owner who operates in the plaza said the crowd began growing earlier in the evening. Through a translator, he told FOX31 that he shut down his business around 6:30 p.m. due to loud noise and drinking and contacted police before leaving the area.
By Sunday afternoon, police had removed crime scene tape, towed a vehicle from the lot, and worked with nearby business owners to clean up broken glass and debris left behind.
The capture of Maduro — who has ruled Venezuela since 2013 — has sparked mixed reactions worldwide. While many have welcomed his removal and impending prosecution in the U.S. on charges including cocaine trafficking conspiracy, others have condemned the operation as illegal. Reactions among Venezuelans have also been divided, with celebrations in some U.S. cities and protests reported in Caracas.
Police are asking anyone with information about the Denver shooting to come forward as detectives continue working to determine what led to the violence.
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