DENVER — One of two suspects arrested after a shooting in Lower Downtown early Tuesday morning was seen by officers running from the scene while clutching his waistband and then ditching a weapon, according to a probable cause statement for his arrest from the Denver Police Department (DPD).
Raoul Jones, 33, and Ricardo Vasquez, 22, were arrested shortly after the shooting around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday near 20th and Market streets. The shooting that injured 10 people, including Vasquez, happened as crowds dispersed from celebrations of the Denver Nuggets NBA Championship win.
Officers who were already in the area due to the celebrations saw Vasquez running from the area "clutching his waistband with his right hand," after the shooting, according to the probable cause statement.
They noted that was a common way to conceal firearms and chased him and as he ran between two cars. Officers heard a "metallic sliding sound" that they recognized to be the sound of a pistol sliding on the ground, according to the statement.
Officers contacted Vasquez in the area near Park Avenue and Blake Street. At that location, police learned that Vasquez had a gunshot wound to his right hip. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and later moved to the Denver Detention Center.
As police searched him, they found a bag of suspected cocaine in his waistband. According to Denver Police, drugs found with Vasquez included:
- Narcotics
- Cocaine
- Crack cocaine
- Methamphetamine
Denver Police said on Tuesday that officers found a large amount of fentanyl while investigating the shooting but said they were working to determine who was associated with the fentanyl.
Vasquez was convicted in 2019 of felony menacing and is currently being held on suspicion of possession of a weapon by a previous offender and drug possession.
He appeared in court Wednesday morning, where bond was set at $10,000 cash only. During the hearing, it was revealed that he had been shot twice, once in the hip and once in the back.
Multiple witnesses pointed out a tan GMC Yukon as possibly being involved in the incident, a report from Denver Police says.
Officers located the vehicle in a parking lot and contacted the driver, identified as Jones. They noticed a gun on the floorboard of the vehicle and took Jones into custody on a charge of possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
According to Denver Police, Jones was the registered owner of the vehicle. He appeared in court Tuesday and has a second advisement set for June 28.
Jones previously pleaded guilty to assault and felony menacing in 2014, court records show.
A total of five guns were recovered, but it was unclear whether all of them were fired during the shooting. Denver Police said that due to different shell casings found at the scene, it was evident that more than one weapon was fired.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas estimated on Tuesday that five of six of the 10 victims were "innocent bystanders" and the rest were believed to be involved in the shooting in some way. All of them are expected to survive.
He said more arrests are possible, as well as additional charges for those already in custody as the investigation continues.