DENVER (KDVR) — A man has pleaded guilty to multiple charges for shooting several people in lower downtown the night the Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship.
According to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Ricardo Vasquez pleaded guilty for the June 13, 2023 shooting to charges of attempted murder and intent to distribute a controlled substance.
During the celebration near 20th Street and Market Street, Vasquez shot into a crowd multiple times resulting in at least four people getting injured, according to the DA’s Office.
“Mr. Vasquez’s guilty plea ensures that he will pay a significant price for his actions that night. I hope this case sends the message that Denver will not tolerate dangerous behavior of this kind and that violent criminals will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank the prosecutors and investigators in my office, as well as the detectives with the Denver Police Department, whose great work brought about the successful resolution of this case,” said District Attorney John Walsh.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has listed that nine people were injured during the shooting. The incident was also classified as a mass shooting by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The plea agreement states that Vasquez will serve 35 years in prison and will be sentenced on March 21.
