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Forever changed: Families of victims in Commerce City triple shooting share their grief

"She didn't deserve it. We should be planning her wedding, not a service," said Timothy Lawerence, father of Makayla Lawrence.
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DENVER — Earlier this month, a fatal shooting in Commerce City drastically changed the lives of two families who are now left navigating through immense pain and heartache.

The shooting happened on Sept. 6 between E. 73rd and E. 74th avenues, where police found three victims at the scene with gunshot wounds. According to Commerce City Police, 20-year-old Makayla Lawrence died shortly after the shooting. Detectives believe she was an unintended target and had not been involved in the prior altercation at the residence.

"I've done a lot of thinking, and a level-headed person don't think like that. Normal people just get in a fight and it's over," said Timothy Lawerence, father of Makayla Lawrence. "They don't come back and shoot people and everybody else because they got in a fight. That's not how it should be."

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Makayla's family gathered in Loveland this weekend, finding a special way to keep her memory close by getting a special tattoo in blue ink, her favorite color.

"She makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you mad, you know, but I always loved her no matter what," Timothy Lawerence said.

This father's love for his firstborn radiates as he describes Makayla's personality and the tremendous heartache, knowing her life was tragically cut short.

"So that everybody can see the pain that it causes families, directly, whether they don't foresee these things happen. I don't even know if they realize the damage they've caused this whole family," he said.

Ethan Jennings, 21, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and four counts of crime of violence.

Jacob Shull was one of the other victims in the triple shooting. He survived but now is paralyzed from the waist down. His sister, Haley Shull, described the pain he now is in.

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"He's stuck in the hospital all day, and he's just like, he's just deteriorating physically and mentally, and he's such a good kid, and it's so hard for him," said Haley Shull.

Haley Shull described the moment her brother learned of Makayla's death and the immense shock of knowing

"My brother, when he woke up and found out it was her, his body went into shock. Everybody had to leave the room and they had to get him back stable. He is just going through a lot," she said.

Forever changed: Families of victims in Commerce City triple shooting share their grief


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