In Denver, the individual who admitted to the shooting that took place after the Denver Nuggets NBA Finals victory in 2023 has been given a 35-year prison sentence, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office on Friday.
Ricardo Vasquez was handed the sentence on Friday for charges that included attempted first-degree murder displaying extreme disregard and an intent to distribute a controlled substance. The latter charge also came with an eight-year prison term that will be served concurrently with the attempted murder charge.
His guilty plea, submitted in January, pertained to his actions of firing into a large group of individuals who were celebrating the team’s championship win at 20th and Market Streets on June 20, 2023. The shooting resulted in injuries to a total of 10 people, three of whom were in critical condition.
Watch the raw video of the shooting from June 2023 in our video below.
Raw video: Mass shooting injures 10 in downtown Denver
Vasquez, who was 22 at the time, ran away from the scene of the shooting, but he was arrested near Park and Blake Streets, police said. He was injured in the shooting too.
Denver police searched a nearby vehicle believed to be connected to the shooting and discovered a second firearm on the floorboard. Police said the driver of that vehicle, identified as Raoul Gottfried Jones, then-33, was taken into custody on a charge of possessing a weapon as a previous offender. He pleaded guilty in November.
In addition, Kenneth Blakely, then-24, was arrested on June 23, 2023 in connection with the shooting. Blakely was charged with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault. His trial is set for mid-April.
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