DENVER — An 11-year-old child was taken to a hospital with multiple injuries after she fell six stories from an open window at a hotel-turned-shelter on E. Hampden Avenue in Denver, fire department officials said Monday.
At around 2:15 p.m., the Denver Fire Department (DFD) announced via social media firefighters were responding to the scene, and added the child was awake and responsive but had multiple injuries. She had fallen and landed on a "second-story structure" that was next to the building and suffered several fractures and lacerations.
Fire officials said about 15 minutes later the child had been admitted to Children’s Hospital Colorado. The girl was expected to be released from the hospital "soon," Salvation Army officials said by Monday evening.
The incident happened at the Tamarac shelter, the site of the former Embassy Suites hotel in southeast Denver, which was purchased by the city in late 2023 and converted to a shelter for unhoused families as part of Mayor Mike Johnston's housing initiative.
In a statement , Salvation Army officials said the city was responsible for the building's maintenance and security, but Denver7 obtained the contract for the shelter approved by Denver City Council last week, which shows the Salvation Army is responsible for the general maintenance of the building, with the city responsible for doors and windows.
"The window was a previously secured sliding glass door, fastened shut with screws and epoxy and clearly labeled do not open in English and Spanish," an official with The Salvation Army said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the safety features were tampered with — contrary to The Salvation Army’s regulations and the signed guest agreement — and the door was opened."
Staff check window safeguards each week, The Salvation Army official said.
"The Salvation Army has consistently raised concerns about the safety of the windows during regular meetings with city staff and leadership," the organization added. "While we are grateful that action is now being taken, we urge the city to move swiftly and decisively to ensure these long-standing safety concerns are fully addressed to protect the families we serve."
Editor's note on Tuesday, July 8 at 4:50 p.m.: A previous version of this story and at least one of the videos attached to this article identified the child as being 7 years of age, but an official with the Salvation Army confirmed with Denver7 Tuesday the girl is 11 years old.
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