DENVER — Two people are dead and two are in custody following a shootout outside a 7-Eleven in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said earlier Monday.
The deadly shooting happened outside a 7-Eleven near the intersection of E. 35th Ave. and Colorado Blvd. at around midnight, when two groups of people got into a fight that escalated into a shooting.
An officer in the area heard the gunshots and responded to the location, where he saw one of the individuals with a gun. According to the Denver Police Department, the officer arrived and confronted the individual, who then shot at the officer. The officer returned fire.
“The officer did fire shots and gave chase to that individual who ultimately escaped,” Thomas said. That suspect, who was later identified as 19-year-old Fabian Vasquez, was taken into custody shortly before 6:30 a.m. in the 3300 block of Jackson Street, according to police.
Denver PD said Vasquez was not injured in the police shooting, but he was taken to the hospital due to prolonged exposure to the cold and a bite wound from a police K-9. He is being held for investigation of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Other arriving officers at the scene found two adult males on the ground. One was declared dead at the scene and the other was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he was ultimately pronounced deceased. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will release their identities at a later time.
At the scene, officers arrested 18-year-old Dominic Gallegos for being a previous offender in possession of a handgun. Denver PD said Gallegos's involvement in the shooting is still under investigation but it "appears he was with Vasquez and was involved in an altercation with the deceased parties" before the incident.
The officer who fired his weapon was placed in an "off-line assignment" pending an investigation, per Denver PD protocol.
The southbound lanes of Colorado Blvd. were closed between E. 35th Ave. ad Bruce Randolph. Northbound Colorado Blvd. is open past the shooting scene, Denver7 traffic expert Jayson Luber said.
Our photographer on scene of the shooting in east Denver now says SB Colorado Blvd is closed btwn 35th and Bruce Randolph. NB Colorado is open past the shooting scene. pic.twitter.com/VSrkVKtwXM
— Jayson Luber (@Denver7Traffic) January 27, 2025
If you or someone you know has information that could help police, you are asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.