DENVER — The Denver Police Department is calling it a “dangerous pattern” and warning residents not to confront suspected vehicle thieves after two recent fatal shootings involving vehicle owners.
In separate incidents on June 24 in east Denver and Tuesday night in the city’s northside, two men were shot and killed after confronting people who were breaking into or attempting to steal their vehicles, according to police.
The June 24 incident occurred at approximately 1:15 a.m. in the 15000 block of E. Olmstead Drive.
Investigators say the man was taken to the hospital after the Montbello neighborhood shooting and later died.
Tuesday’s Sunnyside neighborhood shooting occurred at approximately 11:55 p.m. in the 4300 block of N. Pecos Street at approximately 11:55 p.m.
The identities of the two shooting victims have yet to be released.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas is urging residents to avoid engaging suspects and assume they are armed.
“We offer this warning, in no way to shame the victims for their attempts to protect their vehicles, but to bring awareness to this disturbing trend and to encourage everyone to call 911 if they see something suspicious or a crime in progress,” Thomas said in a news release. “The brazen actions of these suspects go against the fiber of our community, and our investigations teams are working to identify and arrest them.”
Instead of confronting suspects, DPD strongly encourages residents to call 911 and “be a good witness who can share relevant details with responding police officers.”
The two killings are part of an increase in homicides this year, with Denver recording 26 homicides so far in 2026 compared with 18 at the same point in 2025.
Investigators are working to identify the suspects and determine whether the two cases are connected.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
