DENVER — A shooting that injured 10 people in LoDo overnight happened just steps from a storied jazz club that closed in 2020. A member of the family who operated the club said violence in the neighborhood was the key factor in their decision to close.
The shooting early Tuesday morning happened in the area of 20th and Market streets, where Anna Diaz's family operated El Chapultepec for 87 years.
"When Coors Field first came, it was just different, but it wasn't violent," she said. "Just the ebbs and flows of crowds were different than what they were before. But as more and more bars and restaurants and nightclubs opened in the neighborhood, the let-out became increasingly more violent, and increasingly more dangerous."
Tuesday's shooting occurred just steps from El Chapultepec.
"Can you imagine the bass player trying to haul out his equipment and get to his car safely?" Diaz said. "The waitress is trying to get to their car safely with cash tips on hand? It just became more and more evident that it was not the location that was going to continue to foster the type of business that we wanted it to be. And that was the ultimate decision for why we chose to close El Chapultepec."
Since 2018, at least 813 crimes have been reported within two blocks of the shooting, according to a 9Wants to Know analysis of Denver Police Department data. Most of those were assaults and thefts.
Tuesday's shooting was likely the result of a drug deal, according to police, and apparently wasn't related to a celebration of the Denver Nuggets NBA championship win.
The data analysis showed there were at least 202 alleged crimes in 2022, the highest number since 2018. There have been 96 incidents so far in 2023.
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Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said he did not believe the area was inherently dangerous.
"Certainly there have been a lot of violent incidents that have occurred there," he said. "I think that this is, you know, a collection point for a lot of celebratory community members. There are a number of liquor establishments at that particular location, so certainly it draws a crowd."
Tuesday's shooting occurred with scores of police officers nearby.
“Unfortunately we know what has happened when you have gunfire in a large crowd in LoDo -- we’ve seen some very negative consequences of that,” Thomas said.
"There are far too many guns in our community today," he said. "Far too many individuals that act irresponsibly with weapons. And so I think that is something that people need to be aware of."
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