DENVER — On Sunday night, three people were killed and five were injured in two shootings along Federal Boulevard in Denver's Westwood neighborhood.
"There is a lot of innocent people that walk by here," said one resident sitting at a bus stop near the intersection. "It could have been me. It could have been someone else."
The incidents were likely linked to gang violence, according to Denver Police Department officials. Violence some in the Westwood neighborhood say they have seen on the rise.
"Last week there were 12 people shot down here," said Anthony Bachicha, a Westwood resident, pointing down the street. "Last night there was one killed here. Two weeks ago there was another murder. Two guys shot off a roof."
Denver city leaders also acknowledged a rise in crime during a news conference Monday.
"Youth violence is a public health emergency and we must work together in order to address this for the safety of our community," said Paul Pezen, Denver's Police Chief. "We truly do have a crisis on our hands with young people gaining access to firearms."
Denver has seen 174 shootings resulting in injury or death in 2020. By this time in 2019, there were 116.
"I don’t know how to solve the problem, I don’t know how the problem originated. All I know is that we all have to focus on this," said Bachicha.
