DENVER – Hundreds of Denver cyclists joined other Coloradans Saturday who gathered and rolled in unity to honor Alex Pretti while demanding an end to the recent ICE surge.
Pretti, an ICU nurse and avid cyclist, was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis last weekend.
The Denver ride, organized by the Denver Bicycle Lobby, began at City Park in front of the Martin Luther King Memorial Statue before winding through the streets of Denver.
“Alex died as both a witness and a protector. He used his phone to record the truth and his body to shield a neighbor. If we do nothing, Alex will not be the last. This ride is for Alex, but it’s also a roll call for those that the headlines often forget,” said Jude Tibay, who helped organize the ride.
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“I’m kind of speechless. This hurts. This really hurts,” said Marcus Robinson, Co-Founder, Ride for Racial Justice. ”ICE is taking away our families. It’s taking away our kids, and it’s just really troubling and we have to do something about it.”
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Boulder cyclists demand justice during unity ride in honor of Alex Pretti
Mary Egan, a cyclist who came to Denver from Oak Creek Colorado, urged everyone to find humanity in this moment.
“It doesn’t matter who these people are. They are people, and they shouldn’t get murdered on the street by federal officials,” said Egan. “That is wrong, and we live in America, and I think America is better than that.”
Among the chants and calls for change, cyclists said Saturday’s ride helped them feel connected as riders nationwide came together.
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“It gives me a lot of hope to see people supporting from all walks of life that maybe aren’t political or haven’t been engaged until now, it makes a difference,” said Denver cyclist Max Julien. “Hopefully we can get them (ICE) to back down.”
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In the video player below, Denver7 shows you how the ride unfolded. For more coverage of the issues facing the Colorado bicycle community from Denver7, watch our On Two Wheels reports.
Denver cyclists roll for unity and honor Alex Pretti, while demanding change
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DENVER – JEWISHcolorado and Staenberg-Loup Jewish Center closed early Tuesday and will remain closed through Wednesday after receiving “repeated antisemitic and threatening phone calls,” according to the Jewish Community Relations Council.
A digital message about the early closure went out to the community and Denver7 followed up with JEWISHcolorado, which said the calls, from an unidentified caller, began around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The Denver Police Department, which was on site during the early closure, confirmed there are extra patrols on the campus.
“Antisemitism continues to show up here in Colorado, and today’s incident is another troubling example,” wrote Brandon Rattiner, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council.
Rattiner continued: “Out of an abundance of caution, JEWISHcolorado and the Staenberg–Loup Jewish Community Center closed early today while the FBI, local law enforcement, and the Secure Community Network (SCN) gather additional information. We are grateful for the swift response and coordination of our law enforcement partners.”
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Denver’s enormous welcome sign, and advertising platform, on the way into Denver International Airport. Dec. 9, 2025.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Denver City Council shot down a proposal that would give Key Lime Air extra space for its operations at Denver International Airport. Key Lime has drawn fierce criticism in Colorado because it operates deportation flights for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The council rejected the contract on an 11-1 vote, with Kevin Flynn voting in support of it and Chris Hinds absent.
Every council member who spoke condemned current federal immigration policies, and several described them as “unconstitutional.” No member supported Key Lime Air’s collaboration with ICE.
Key Lime Air calls itself “the largest single feeder aircraft network in the U.S.” News of the affiliation sparked protests outside its Centennial Airport headquarters and at CU Boulder, which has contracted with the company since 2011 to transport athletes.
Key Lime, which operates under the name Denver Air Connection, has flown cargo service from the Denver airport since at least 2006, as well as scheduled passenger service since November 2015, according to airport officials.
It’s unclear whether Key Lime supports its deportation operations from Denver’s airport.
Councilmember Stacie Gilmore said she has been following Key Lime’s deportation flights at the Centennial Airport, a practice she described as “unconstitutional.” She could neither “ethically nor morally” support an agreement with the company
Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez expressed concern that deportation flights could be leaving Denver International Airport and frustration that airport staff did not clear that up before the vote.
Councilmember Kevin Flynn was the lone “yes” vote on the contract.
While Flynn also decried current mass deportations, which he said are based on race, the councilmember also argued the contract would not alter whether or not the airline would operate at Denver International Airport. Instead, voting down the contract would simply mean Key Lime would not pay the city to use storage space.
“Voting it down means they won’t be paying us,” he said. “They’ll be using it for free.”
The council does not have the power to outright kick Key Lime out of the airport, he said.
Councilmember Jamie Torres, who first found out about the contract from a reporter, also opposed contracting with Key Lime.
“It may seem like any other business decision to the private airlines that are contracting with the federal government, but it’s just not,” she said. “We know that people are being deported without due process. It is a standard business and history will be kind to those who participated in these removals.”
Council President Amanda Sandoval implored her fellow members not to support the contract, saying she would outright refuse to sign a contract with the company.
“As a body that has six Latinas on here, let’s not do this,” Sandoval said. “We cannot do this.”
Several city council members raised concerns that federal grants could be reduced because of the body’s vote.
“I want to be clear that if this is voted down, it’s not going to stop the flights from coming in and out,” Gonzales-Gutierrez said.
The Denver City Auditor’s office ruled earlier this year that two strip clubs were mistreating their employees.
Inside the Diamond Cabaret, Feb. 15, 2018.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
A Denver District Court judge has upheld a ruling that strip club workers have protections under the city’s wage and employment laws, rejecting the companies’ attempt to shut down a city investigation that had resulted in millions of dollars in penalties.
The ruling follows a Denver Auditor’s Office investigation into four strip clubs that operate in the city. Investigators used newly expanded subpoena powers to attempt to obtain documents from the strip clubs, and issued daily fines when they refused.
The investigation found hundreds of workers at two strip clubs, Diamond Cabaret and Rick’s Cabaret, had their wages stolen because they were misclassified in order to exempt them from labor laws and forced to pay fees to work. In February, the auditor ordered the strip clubs to pay $14 million in back pay and penalties to those workers, which neither has paid.
The four strip clubs challenged the legality of the investigation, arguing that strip club entertainers are “licensees” and therefore not subject to Denver wage laws. They also alleged other flaws and that a hearing officer had a conflict of interest.
Judge Jon J. Olafson issued an order on Nov. 20, affirming two previous decisions from a hearing officer that allowed the investigation and fees to stand. The club’s appeal alleged that the hearing officer overstepped her jurisdiction in multiple ways by allowing the investigation to stand, which Judge Olafson disagreed with.
“I’m thrilled the District Court recognized our legal authority to enforce sex workers’ rights. We remain steadfast in doing what’s right for all workers in Denver,” Denver Labor Executive Director Matthew Fritz-Mauer said in a statement.
The legal team for the strip clubs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The club owners have appealed to the state Court of Appeals and sued in federal court.
Building boom left a lot of space to fill, and landlords are looking to make deals.
An “Apartment for Rent” sign in the window of a building in Denver’s Speer neighborhood. April 27, 2023.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Denver landlords are making deals to entice renters to move into empty apartments.
Incentives, such as free rent, are at a 15-year high, according to a new report from the Apartment Association of Metro Denver. Landlords are trying to fill units after a building boom in recent years left a glut of space to fill.
“It’s good news for (soon-to-be renters) to see so many opportunities. Several communities are offering great discounts, including a few weeks of free rent on top of falling rates,” Mark Williams, executive vice president of Denver’s apartment association, said in a statement accompanying the report. “It’s truly the best time for new renters to move into an apartment.”
The effective rent, which is the rate people are paying after concessions are baked in, averaged $1,709 per month during the third quarter, according to the report. That compares to $1,874 per month two years ago. Average rents started falling at the end of last year, the association’s data show. They are now the lowest they’ve been in more than three years.
Boulder and Broomfield counties have the lowest vacancy rate in the region at 5.1 percent. Arapahoe County, with a 7.4 percent vacancy rate, has the highest.
Construction of new apartment buildings has slowed way down from the peak in mid-2023. That should lead to fewer empty apartments becoming available, which will eventually lead to rents stabilizing, according to the report.
The metro area vacancy rate is already down a little bit from earlier this year.
“As vacancy continues to fall, it appears the peak has been reached,” Scott Rathbun, a researcher with Apartment Insights who authored the report, said in the statement.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. – Two pedestrians walking in a crosswalk were struck and killed Sunday evening in a crash involving a vehicle on East Smoky Hill Road in Arapahoe County, according to law enforcement.
Deputy John Bartmann with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office told Denver7 the crash was reported around 10 p.m. and deputies later found two women “had been struck by a vehicle that was going westbound on Smoky Hill.”
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Bartmann said the women were at the intersection of S. Waco Street and in a crosswalk when they were struck by the driver, who remained on the scene “and is cooperating with the investigation.”
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said its traffic safety division is investigating the crash and this story will be updated with further information.
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AURORA, Colo. — For more than six months, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained a prominent immigration rights activist in Aurora. The length of time violates her constitutional rights while subjecting her to “prolonged detention,” her attorneys assert.
53-year-old Jeanette Vizguerra was detained by ICE on March 17. Her legal team believes Vizguerra was targeted for her criticism of U.S. immigration enforcement policies and practices over the years.
On Monday, Vizguerra’s lawyers filed an amended version of their Writ of Habeas Corpus, which is a court filing that challenges an individual’s imprisonment. The attorneys added on a new claim, arguing that Vizguerra has been detained for too long and should be released to continue her fight against deportation from outside the Aurora facility.
The filing describes Vizguerra’s case as being stuck in “legal limbo.”
“According to the government, she already was deported. That’s what we’re fighting about,” lead attorney on Vizguerra’s case Laura Lichter said. “Someone could be fighting for a couple of years before these cases are actually resolved… Essentially, by providing this motion today, which essentially amended the original petition, it basically said, this has gone on long enough. This has gone on past a reasonable amount of time to have somebody facing detention while they are actively fighting their legal right to contest the government’s action.”
Jacob Curtis
Jeanette Vizguerra’s attorney argues she has been detained for too long, and should be released from ICE custody.
Since Vizguerra was first detained, a crowd rallies in her name outside of the Aurora ICE Processing Center on Monday evenings. This week, the crowd was there awaiting announcement of the attorney’s new filing.
“We are here because in 2013, ICE messed up,” Lichter told the crowd on Monday. “They didn’t have a removal order. The facts are clear. They didn’t even do the paperwork correctly, and so they sat on it for about a dozen years, until this administration, we believe, went after Jeanette, targeted her for who she is, for what she represents, for what she says.”
Vizguerra addressed the crowd gathered on Monday evening, speaking through a phone call and translator. She told the group that for the first time in her six months of detainment, she felt her health was deteriorating.
“I want to make sure that the six months I’ve spent in here are not gone to waste,” the translator said, speaking on behalf of Vizguerra.
Denver7 reached out to ICE for a comment on the new filing in Viguerra’s case, but did not receive a response.
“She’s now been detained longer than six months. At this point, the burden shifts to the government to establish that her continued detention is actually necessary. They’re not going to have much of a basis to do that,” Lichter said. “Why? Because Jeanette is not dangerous. She’s not going to run away. She’s not any threat to anyone. She wants to be right here, doing exactly what she’s doing, fighting her case, fighting for her legal rights, but in the warm embrace of her family, with her community, outside of a private prison.”
Lichter, who began working with Vizguerra long before she was detained in March, said complicated immigration cases can last for years before reaching a resolution.
“Immigration law, because of its complexity, because of the politics, because of the different interpretations — whether that’s an administration through an executive order or different courts — is something that’s constantly changing,” Lichter said. “So, you will have cases that can go on for years and years and years, especially if that person has the resilience to be able to continue to fight for their rights.”
Vizguerra is a citizen of Mexico who entered the U.S. in 1997. The filing from her attorneys states that “at the age of 25, she fled to the U.S. with her husband and daughter due to the persecution her husband experienced at his job from criminal organizations.”
In February of 2009, Vizguerra was convicted of criminal possession of a forged instrument for having a fake Social Security card. At the time, Vizguerra said her Social Security card was made up of digits from her birth date, and did not belong to another person. She ended up serving a 23-day sentence after her conviction.
That year, Vizguerra was placed in removal proceedings. She applied for a form of relief that would have authorized a judge to cancel the deportation and grant permanent residency if certain requirements were met. That application was denied in 2011, but an alternate request for voluntary departure was granted, giving Vizguerra 60 days to leave the country.
Vizguerra’s attorneys claim she appealed that decision. In 2012, learned her mother was struggling and flew back to Mexico to see her mom one last time. That departure “triggered a subsequent, automatic withdrawal of her appeal,” according to Vizguerra’s legal team.
Vizguerra returned to the U.S. in 2013, when the amended court filing states she was “apprehended shortly after her entry and charged criminally for illegal entry.” She was convicted in that case and sentenced to probation.
When Vizguerra was released from criminal custody, she was turned over to ICE in El Paso, Texas. She was able to return to Colorado, and required to report to the Denver ICE Field Office in Centennial, court documents state.
“The government believes that Jeanette is subject to reinstatement, that she was essentially deported and then illegally came back in the country,” Lichter said. “What we’ve said is, no, it wasn’t a deportation. She left on an order of voluntary departure because her mother was dying.”
It was while Vizguerra was in Texas that a removal order was reinstated — a point in the timeline that’s debated by her attorney.
“They made a mistake back in 2013. over a dozen years ago. They didn’t have the right facts to establish their assertion that Jeanette is actually someone who should be detained, facing the immediate threat of removal,” Lichter said. “Even if they were right, they didn’t even fill out their paperwork according to their own rules and procedures. Nothing has changed about that.”
The filing continues to detail Vizguerra’s timeline, claiming she was granted a stay of removal by August of 2013.
“Since that time, ICE repeatedly granted extensions of that stay of removal, with her most recent stay expiring in 2024,” the filing reads.
Jeanette Vizguerra’s legal team says she’s in ‘legal limbo’ six months after arrest
She was given a two-year reprieve, which allowed her to stay in the country until March of 2019 after Sen. Michael Bennet and then-Rep. Jared Polis — now Colorado’s governor — introduced so-called private bills to give her a path to become a permanent resident. But her two-year stay was not renewed and Vizguerra was further denied a U Visa — which allows undocumented victims of certain crimes to live legally in the U.S.
A timeline provided by ICE showed Vizguerra was twice granted a stay of deportation in both 2021 and 2023, lasting for a year each.
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Woman who sought sanctuary in CO church reacts to removal of ‘sensitive areas’
When Vizguerra was most recently detained, a spokesperson with ICE told Denver7 Vizguerra would “remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.” The statement continued, calling Vizguerra “a convicted criminal” with “a final order of deportation issued by a federal immigration judge.”
ICE asserted Vizguerra has received legal due process in immigration court throughout the process.
Court records show that Vizguerra’s team has previously asked the judge to consider releasing her on bond. A decision on bond has not been made yet.
“If the judge agrees with us, she could order Jeanette to be released, or she could order that Jeanette have a bond hearing. We would hope where the burden is going to be on the government, for them to prove that they have a right or a need to keep her detained,” Lichter said.
The federal government will respond to their filing within the next three weeks, according to Lichter. Then, Vizguerra’s team will have two weeks to file any counterarguments they may have.
After that, Lichter said both sides will be awaiting the judge’s ruling in the case.
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A student shot two of his peers Wednesday at a suburban Denver high school before shooting himself and later dying, authorities said.The handgun shooting was reported around 12:30 p.m. at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, about 30 miles west of Denver in the Rocky Mountain foothills.Shots were fired both inside and outside the school building, and law enforcement officers who responded found the shooter within five minutes of arriving, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said.None of the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting fired any shots, Kelley said.More than 100 police officers from the surrounding area rushed to the school to try to help, Kelley said. A 1999 school shooting at Jefferson County’s Columbine High killed 14 people, including a woman who died earlier this year of complications from her injuries in the shooting.The teens were originally listed in critical condition, St. Anthony Hospital CEO Kevin Cullinan said. Their ages were not released.By early evening, one teen was in stable condition with what Dr. Brian Blackwood, the hospital’s trauma director, described as non-life threatening injuries. He declined to provide more details.The high school with more than 900 students is largely surrounded by forest. It is about a mile from the center of Evergreen, which has a population of 9,300 people.After the shooting, parents gathered outside a nearby elementary school waiting to reunite with their children.Wendy Nueman said her 15-year-old daughter, a sophomore at Evergreen High School, didn’t answer her phone right away after the shooting, The Denver Post reported. When her daughter finally called back, it was from a borrowed phone.“She just said she was OK. She couldn’t hardly speak,” Nueman said, holding back tears. She gathered that her daughter ran from the school.“It’s super scary,” she said. “We feel like we live in a little bubble here. Obviously, no one is immune.”Eighteen students who fled from the shooting took shelter at a home just down the road, after an initial group of them pounded on the door asking for help, resident Don Cygan told Denver’s KUSA-TV. One student said he heard gunshots while in the school’s cafeteria and ran out of the school, Cygan said.Cygan, a retired educator familiar with lockdown trainings to prepare for possible shootings, said he took down the names of all the students and the names of the parents who later arrived there to pick them up. His wife, a retired nurse, was able to calm the teens down and treat them for shock, he said.“I hope they feel like they ran to the right house,” he said._____Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
DENVER —
A student shot two of his peers Wednesday at a suburban Denver high school before shooting himself and later dying, authorities said.
The handgun shooting was reported around 12:30 p.m. at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, about 30 miles west of Denver in the Rocky Mountain foothills.
Shots were fired both inside and outside the school building, and law enforcement officers who responded found the shooter within five minutes of arriving, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said.
None of the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting fired any shots, Kelley said.
More than 100 police officers from the surrounding area rushed to the school to try to help, Kelley said. A 1999 school shooting at Jefferson County’s Columbine High killed 14 people, including a woman who died earlier this year of complications from her injuries in the shooting.
The teens were originally listed in critical condition, St. Anthony Hospital CEO Kevin Cullinan said. Their ages were not released.
By early evening, one teen was in stable condition with what Dr. Brian Blackwood, the hospital’s trauma director, described as non-life threatening injuries. He declined to provide more details.
The high school with more than 900 students is largely surrounded by forest. It is about a mile from the center of Evergreen, which has a population of 9,300 people.
After the shooting, parents gathered outside a nearby elementary school waiting to reunite with their children.
Wendy Nueman said her 15-year-old daughter, a sophomore at Evergreen High School, didn’t answer her phone right away after the shooting, The Denver Post reported. When her daughter finally called back, it was from a borrowed phone.
“She just said she was OK. She couldn’t hardly speak,” Nueman said, holding back tears. She gathered that her daughter ran from the school.
“It’s super scary,” she said. “We feel like we live in a little bubble here. Obviously, no one is immune.”
Eighteen students who fled from the shooting took shelter at a home just down the road, after an initial group of them pounded on the door asking for help, resident Don Cygan told Denver’s KUSA-TV. One student said he heard gunshots while in the school’s cafeteria and ran out of the school, Cygan said.
Cygan, a retired educator familiar with lockdown trainings to prepare for possible shootings, said he took down the names of all the students and the names of the parents who later arrived there to pick them up. His wife, a retired nurse, was able to calm the teens down and treat them for shock, he said.
“I hope they feel like they ran to the right house,” he said.
EVERGREEN, Colo. – Shaken parents rushed to a reunification center Wednesday afternoon for any word on the condition of their children following a shooting at Evergreen High School that injured three students, including the suspected shooter.
Two students were critically injured and the third suffered non-life threatning injuries.
All three juveniles were transported to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Health Center in Lakewood as Jeffco Public Schools works to contact stunned families.
Denver7 news reporter Veronica Acosta has been talking to students and parents at the reunification center at Bergen Meadow Elementary who shared what they heard and saw as the shooting unfolded.
An Evergreen High School freshman told Denver7 he was outside on campus when he heard popping noises and tried to get inside as soon as possible.
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“It was just a lot. I walked outside the gym and heard shots. Multiple shots kept firing,” said Tye, a freshman. “Just loud pops and at first, I didn’t think it was anything – I just heard it repeatedly and it kept shooting and then I knew it was shots.”
He said his phone was broken and he was unable to text his parents. Tye’s father told Denver7 he tried to get any news he could on the shooting.
“Information started pouring in and you’re just terrified, like ‘oh my gosh – is he okay?’ You just wait and hope for the best – contact other parents to see if they’ve heard anything,” said Tye’s father.
Denver7 reporter Acosta saw at least 6 school buses with students who were to be reunited with their families. Denver7 also spoke to student Brenner Johnson and his mother Shannon Taylor, who rushed to the school.
You can watch their interview in the video player below.
‘I felt sick’: Students react to Evergreen HS shooting
“There was a message over the intercom and they basically just said that like they were going into lockdown. I was in the nurse’s office right before it happened, so I heard the walkie talkies before too,” said Brenner.
His mom, holding back tears, said she was overwhelmed when she saw a text message come through from Brenner that he was okay.
“It’s really scary. We got here as soon as we could and the staff was amazing at letting me in and getting me to him and then they told me they could let me in,” said Shannon. “They couldn’t let me leave because he was in the nurse’s office. So I just stayed for a while with him, instead of staying to see these teachers. Their broken hearts. They’re doing the best they can.”
She told Denver7 her father was a first responder at the Columbine tragedy in 1999 and Brenner had been homeschooled until recently. This is his first year at Evergreen Middle School, she said.
Describing what she saw after rushing to the school, Evergreen High School parent Victoria Hutchen told Denver7 the road leading up to the campus was littered with backpacks and water bottles as students fled the shooter during the chaos.
The photo below shows a few of the items she picked up for safekeeping
Denver7 reporter Adria Irahita
Evergreen High School sophomore Charlie Hutchen was in the cafeteria when he heard a commotion before the sound of gunshots.
“One of my friends – he was like ‘everyone be quiet’ and we actually heard the (lockdown) announcement,” said Hutchen. “While we were running, we just heard two shots.”
He said they ran outside onto a neighborhood dirt road.
“Kids dropping their backpacks and everything. I never thought this would happen at our school.”Fellow EHS sophomore Jax Schraad said the shots sounded close to their location.
“We ran – there was another shot behind us and that was like, really made people scream. I cut over a bunch of hills, because i think a lot of people are going to the police station,” said Schraad. “I banged on this guy’s house. I started banging, I started kicking it, and he opened the door.”
Law enforcement said they had completed a room-by-room check of the school and no other suspects or devices were believed to have been involved.
This story will be updated as we hear from more students and parents.
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Three teens were critically wounded in a shooting at a suburban Denver high school, including the suspected shooter, on Wednesday, authorities said.The shooting was reported around 12:30 p.m. at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, about 30 miles west of Denver, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said.It is not clear what led up to the shooting or how the suspected shooter, believed to be a student at the school, was shot. None of the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting is believed to have fired any shots, Kelley said.The shooting happened on school grounds but it wasn’t immediately known whether it was inside the school building, she said.All three teens taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado, were shot, CEO Kevin Cullinan said.Over 100 police officers from around the Denver area rushed to the school to try to help, Kelley said. The sheriff’s office is the same agency that responded to the school shooting at the 1999 Columbine High School shooting that killed 14 people, including a woman who died earlier this year of complications from her injuries in the shooting.”This is the scariest thing that could ever happen, and these parents were really frightened, and so were the kids,” Kelley said. “And I know we say ‘never again,’ and here we are.”FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the FBI is on scene and “in full support of local authorities.”
DENVER —
Three teens were critically wounded in a shooting at a suburban Denver high school, including the suspected shooter, on Wednesday, authorities said.
The shooting was reported around 12:30 p.m. at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, about 30 miles west of Denver, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said.
It is not clear what led up to the shooting or how the suspected shooter, believed to be a student at the school, was shot. None of the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting is believed to have fired any shots, Kelley said.
The shooting happened on school grounds but it wasn’t immediately known whether it was inside the school building, she said.
All three teens taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado, were shot, CEO Kevin Cullinan said.
Over 100 police officers from around the Denver area rushed to the school to try to help, Kelley said. The sheriff’s office is the same agency that responded to the school shooting at the 1999 Columbine High School shooting that killed 14 people, including a woman who died earlier this year of complications from her injuries in the shooting.
“This is the scariest thing that could ever happen, and these parents were really frightened, and so were the kids,” Kelley said. “And I know we say ‘never again,’ and here we are.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the FBI is on scene and “in full support of local authorities.”
Tobacco-less nicotine products for sale at Myxed Up’s location on East Colfax Avenue in Denver. Nov. 19, 2024.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
A ballot fight over a ban on flavored tobacco in Denver has raised nearly half a million dollars. That’s according to campaign filings posted this month on the website of the Office of the Denver Clerk and Recorder.
Denver’s city council passed a ban on flavored tobacco last year.
It aimed to stop the sale of products that public health groups say can lead to a lifetime of tobacco addiction. Vape shops and the tobacco industry called it overreach and fired back. They gathered thousands of signatures to successfully put the prohibition before voters in November.
Campaign filings show the repeal effort, organized as Citizen Power!, has so far brought in around $328,000. That’s more than twice the amount raised by a coalition of anti-tobacco, health and education groups, working under the name of Denver Kids vs Big Tobacco. The coalition has raised $143,000.
Top contributors to the repeal effort include local vape advocates and multi-national tobacco company Philip Morris International, which makes a diverse array of products like Marlboro cigarettes brand, smoke-free (heated tobacco) products under brands like IQOS, and ZYN nicotine pouches.
The company is building a plant to manufacture the pouches in Aurora.
Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, a 501(c)4 nonprofit group affiliated with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, has given nearly $87,000 to the Denver Kids vs Big Tobacco Campaign. Health consortium Kaiser Permanente gave $50,000 and Brown Strategy, a digital campaign ad group, contributed $5,000.
FILE – Scott Gilmore, then-deputy executive director for Denver Parks and Recreation, addresses Denver City Council, Aug. 7, 2018. Gilmore was one of the nearly 200 city workers laid off during 2025’s major budget deficit.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Updated 8:39 p.m.
The husband of a Denver city council member is among the 171 city workers being laid off this week. Scott Gilmore, who is married to Councilmember Stacie Gilmore, had been an executive with the parks department for more than a decade.
“Thirteen years of service to the City and County of Denver. That means that when he started serving, our youngest daughter was 7 years old,” Councilmember Stacie Gilmore said at Monday’s regular council meeting.
The council member was visibly emotional, pausing at times to compose herself.
Scott Gilmore served most of his city career as a deputy executive director, a job that frequently put him front-and-center for media interviews and conversations with neighbors. But he recently became deputy executive director of mountain parks and special projects, a seemingly more specialized job.
He started working for the city before Stacie Gilmore was first elected in 2015. In her comments, Gilmore seemed to imply that he was fired as retaliation for her battles with Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration.
“He is a 61-year-old man that only wanted to serve out the last four years of his time until he was 65,” Councilmember Gilmore said. “And because of his sassy loudmouthed wife, he got let go.”
Scott Gilmore agreed with his wife — he said he felt targeted because he and his wife have been outspoken behind the scenes.
“Ever since this administration took over, I’ve had questions about communications, transparency,” he said in an interview. “And this hasn’t been a very transparent process.”
District 11 City Council member Stacie Gilmore at the legislative body’s weekly meeting. Oct. 16, 2023.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Scott Gilmore alleged a hostile work environment.
Scott Gilmore originally was appointed to parks leadership by former Mayor Michael Hancock. But in 2021, the Hancock administration converted Gilmore’s job and a colleague’s to career service authority positions, as CBS Colorado reported.
The change made it more difficult for the city’s mayor — including its new mayor, Mike Johnston — to dismiss Gilmore. The change included a raise to a salary of $170,000 a year and drew criticism from Councilmember Amanda Sawyer, CBS reported at the time.
Now, Gilmore said he is only one of seven people who are being laid off from the parks department, including himself.
“I have had a very influential position and role within the city and department over the past fourteen years. I have directly hired a large majority of the Park Operation staff and the removal of my leadership of this team could have been done to minimize my influence on decision making within the department,” he wrote in an email, adding that the elimination could be “perceived as a retaliatory action of this administration.”
In the email, he said that he had encountered a hostile work environment since July 2023, which is when Johnston’s administration took power.
Scott Gilmore said that Stacie Gilmore had criticized the city’s budget decision and its spending on homelessness. The councilwoman also raised concerns about the administration’s plan to study nuclear power at the airport, which was recently delayed as a result.
Stacie Gilmore ended her remarks on Monday by saying the “dog muzzle” had been removed from her and her husband.
Mayoral spokesperson Jon Ewing said the city couldn’t comment on individual personnel decisions.
The city used a formula to determine layoffs, with decisions based on an employee’s years of service, skills, abilities and performance. Agency leaders could adjust those factors’ weights on a department level. But administration officials said last week the system was designed to avoid reverse engineering that could target individuals.
Scott Gilmore pointed out that his current job was not paid from the general fund. The city is looking for savings in the general fund and targeted most of the layoffs and job closures to related positions. But city officials said last week there were some circumstances where a person could be laid off even if they weren’t paid out of the general fund.
Councilmember Gilmore represents far northeast Denver and is one of the longest-serving members of council. Scott Gilmore’s brother owns Gilmore Construction, a prominent local company; the connection has occasionally drawn criticism.
Other council members called for more transparency and denounced parts of the layoff process.
City Council did not get a say on whether there would be layoffs and how they would be administered, a decision that vexed some council members.
“I cannot safely say that these are the steps that needed to be taken, [a] direct to hit to our city workforce,” said at-large Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez. “I would’ve loved to partner with the administration and our Department of Finance to find some other creative solutions.”
City Council member Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez at her desk during the body’s weekly legislative meeting. Jan. 16, 2023.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
The criticism lined up with a similar one from Michael Wallin, the president of AFSCME Local Union 158 and an employee of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, who told Denverite that the city should have explored other options, like early retirement, before resorting to layoffs.
Council members also expressed their condolences for the scores of other workers who will be laid off on Monday and Tuesday. The city is trying to close a $250 million budget gap for this year and next year.
“It’s a loss for our residents. It’s a loss for people I know in my family,” said council president Amanda Sandoval.
Editor’s note: This article was updated with additional information and comment from Scott Gilmore.
WELD COUNTY, Colo. – Sixty-nine years ago Friday, an act of terrorism in the Colorado skies left a painful mark that is still felt today in Weld County.
Denver7 has brought many stories of the tragic bombing of United Flight 629 because so many Coloradans have yet to learn what happened that cold November night in 1955.
There has never been a memorial or marker built to honor the victims, their families and the community of first responders and citizen heroes who responded to the beet fields where 44 people were killed.
FBI
This year, which marks 69 Novembers since that horrific night – and approaching next year’s 70th year since the tragedy, there’s a multi-pronged effort to build permanent memorials and further share the stories of the community and pay tribute to the victims of one of Colorado’s darkest days.
Denver7’s coverage of United Flight 629 changed the way courtrooms are covered in Colorado. We continue to share the stories from that dark day many have forgotten.
It was just after 7 p.m. on November 1, 1955.
United Airlines Flight 629 was a 4-engine DC 6 passenger aircraft – loaded with crew, passengers, cargo and fuel for the hop from Denver to Portland, Oregon, quickly departed Stapleton Airport to the northwest.
A few minutes later,Stapleton tower controllers noticed a bright flash in the sky and witnesses near Longmont heard and saw the huge explosion in the night sky.There was little anyone could do as the wreckage rained down onto the Weld County beet fields.
As the recovery efforts continued, the investigation quickly zeroed in on the DC 6’s cargo hold.
Denver7
An artifact from United Flight 629 on display at History Colorado
The Denver Police Museum eventually had possession of a piece of Flight 629’s mangled fuselage which is now on display at History Colorado.
“This is some pretty heavy gauge metal, and it’s just bent and torn to pieces,” said Jason Hanson, chief creative officer at History Colorado. “The force of the explosion, I think really comes through when you look at this.”
An artifact from United Flight 629 on display at History Colorado
He planted a homemade bomb in his own mother’s suitcase. When that timed bomb detonated above Longmont it killed Daisie King, Graham’s mother, and the 43 other passengers.
“There was a distinct smell of dynamite, so they knew something was wrong right from the get go,” said Michael Hesse, president of the Denver Police Museum. “And when they called Mr. Hoover from the FBI, he instructed them to immediately take all of the luggage and lay it out and pair the luggage with the victims.”
Hesse said despite the fact that the DC 6 exploded in mid air, most of the luggage was somewhat intact.
“Except for one bag – just common sense. The solid police work that went into that, that one bag obviously led them down a path and ultimately allowed them to solve this,” added Hesse.
Denver7
The 44 victims of the Flight 629 tragedy.
As the 70th approaches next November, Hesse is one of the community members working to build a permanent memorial to honor Flight 629.
“There wasn’t an awareness that this happened. It was largely forgotten,” said Hesse. “I have tried over the last several years to find out exactly why that’s the case. And I think part of it – is this happened in 1955 – just 10 years after the end of World War Two, after the Korean War I think that the public was a little more familiar with death.”
Hesse said the plan is to build a memorial outside the entrance of Flyteco Tower, the site of the old Stapleton Airport control tower.
“This is where the plane took off en route to Portland on November 1, 1955 and so having it here – as patrons come in – will hopefully serve as an educational opportunity,” said Hesse. “
Denver7
Michael Hesse, president of Denver Police Museum talks about a future permanent memorial outside FlyteCo Tower, the site of the old Stapleton control tower.
The memorial will be in the shape of an airplane fuselage, and it will be pointed northwest, which is the direction that the plane took off from the airport.”
The memorial will include names of the passengers and crew and will also honor the first responders.
“There will be the logos of the various agencies that responded. The FBI, the Denver Police Department, the Denver District Attorney, Weld and Larimer County Sheriff, volunteer firemen, and it’ll be the citizens too, we’re going to acknowledge that.”
The goal is to dedicate the memorial on November 1, 2025. They hope to get there by inviting the public to purchase Flight 629 challenge coins to help fund the memorial.
A mission to build a memorial honoring the bombing of Flight 629 in Colorado
“This challenge coin that we’ve designed to honor the victims will also create greater awareness and also donations so that we can pay for the memorial in front of the tower here,” said Hesse.
“They were all human beings. There were countless birthdays and anniversaries and things like that that were missed,” said Hesse.” It was this completely senseless tragedy. It breaks your heart, but we want to make sure the families know that their loved ones are not forgotten.”
“There will be an exhibition here that will help people engage with that story. I think we’re going to put it in a really high traffic area, so our hope is that people who aren’t familiar with the story, will be caught by it, and want to learn more,” said Hanson. “Our hope, always, is that people see our exhibitions and want to learn more when they leave, that we inspire and spark some curiosity and so that they will go and learn more on their own.”
Denver7
Becky Tesone with the Flight 629 Memorial Committee is helping lead the effort to build the permament memorial in Weld County, the site of the 1955 plane bombing.
And as more and more Coloradans learn about the tragedy, Becky Tesone – vice president of the Flight 629 Memorial Committee hopes they will be moved to open their hearts to help finally build a permanent memorial in Weld County as the 70th commemoration approaches.
“They have never had a monument, and they have never had their names read or candles lit for them,” said Tesone. “And so we want to do that, to break open what’s going to happen a year from November 1, which is the 70th anniversary of bringing the families back in.”
The vision for a future, permanent memorial in Weld County – where the plane went down – is still in the works, but the details are starting to come together.
FBI
The reconstruction of pieces of Flight 629’s fuselage at the old Stapleton Airport.
“What we picture it to be, will be four sides. One side will have the names on it, two sides will have pictures of places that were all connected,” Tesone said, “Greeley was connected with the armory where the bodies went. Stapleton is where they took off from, and where they went back and reassembled the plane. So that’s a key place, that’s where FlyteCo currently is.”
She said the hope is to have four benches along the memorial for people to reflect with a covering to protect visitors and the memorial from Colorado’s seasons.
“And we’re going to have a two-by-four foot plane made out of bronze on top of it. And that’s going to be the beauty of it,” said Tesone. “This was a huge tragedy that changed the laws of the airport for checking our baggage and put in new safety regulations. And then the piece about Channel 7 at the time being the first ones into the courtroom.”
The bombing of United Airlines 629 and a journey to forgiveness
The future memorial will be a place for the families of the victims and those who responded to reflect, gather and heal. And in these divisive times, the Flight 629 Memorial Committee hopes the memorial will serve as a place to lift up the service and sacrifice of first responders, emergency crews and ordinary neighbors whose courage and tenacity are examples of how people can come together.
“We need $30,000 and the goal was by the 31st of this month. I’m sure that Landmark Monument will let us stretch it a little bit, but they need to order what we are going to put on there,” said Tesone. “And we need a total of $150,000 that we could see in the near future just to lay the cement.”
“I know there’s people out there that can write a check for the whole thing. I know there’s people out there that can give us $5, $10 and all of it matters,” said Tesone. “All of it matters because what they put their money into is what they are a part of in their heart. And this is something that the heart needs healing for these people.”
Denver7
This Friday will mark 69 years since the United Flight 629 explosion. The public is invited to attend a first-ever commemoration which will include a candle lighting, reading of victim’s names and a time to reflect.
‘Remember the 44’ is at 6 p.m. at Carbon Valley Lutheran Church at 10916 Cimarron Street in Firestone.
Denver7 will keep you updated on the progress of the memorial and you can connect to the group’s efforts through the Flight 629 Memorial Facebook page.
You can watch this video report in the player below.
‘Remember the 44’: Sunset memorial to honor United Flight 629 tragedy on Friday
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AURORA, Colo. — It’s been nearly a month since the City of Aurora closed an “unfit” apartment complex, citing “substantial, longstanding unresolved code violations and other poor conditions at the property.”
Denver7 followed up with now-former residents on Wednesday. They said a majority of people are still in hotels as they continue the search for permanent housing.
“The situation of us getting displaced has really jeopardized a lot of people,” a former tenant, who preferred not to share his name, said in Spanish. “The majority of us are in hotels. We are still waiting to see what happens with us.”
The former tenant said there are at least 10 other families still living at the same hotel where he is staying.
Aurora
Aurora mayor addresses Venezuelan gang activity claims in one-on-one interview
Yorkiss Ramos, another former tenant, said she’s one of the lucky few who has secured an apartment.
“There are more people in shelter than those who have gotten apartments,” Ramos said, in Spanish. “Here, I feel comfortable. I’m good here.”
City officials told Denver7 they covered the cost of hotels for some tenants through the end of August. Those folks were also connected with external social service agencies that will work with them to secure new housing.
A spokesperson said former tenants who were interested and qualified could also apply for deposit assistance through the city’s Flexible Housing Fund.
The apartment complex has been subject to national attention following claims that the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, had “taken over” the building. Former tenants said the allegations have made the search for new housing more difficult.
“With everything going on, the false news, they are closing the doors at some complexes,” said the former tenant who is still living at a hotel.
CBZ Management faces several charges stemming from the outstanding code violations. An Aurora judge delayed the trial until February 2025.
Denver7 reached out to CBZ for a statement but we have not heard back.
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DENVER – A group of businesses in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood say they’re seeing a spike in retail theft and must take extra measures to avoid being targeted.
One of the recent incidents happened at Noemi Boutique at a strip mall in the on the 4700 block of Peoria on Tuesday.
Owner Noemi Yac said three men and a woman entered her store while it was open, grabbed several items, put them in bags, and then left without paying for any of it.
Surveillance video captured their images.
“ [It was] a traumatic experience,” Yac said, in Spanish. “They opened bags and started grabbing belts, hats.”
Noemi Boutique
It’s a concerning trend that she says has been impacting her neighbors, too.
“I’m not the only victim,” she said.
Next door, at Boost Mobile, employee Leslie Sandoval said they’ve also been impacted.
“We’ve been noticing the crime rate go up as far as theft,” she said. “It’s gotten definitely worse. They’ll take headphones and leave boxes empty, basically snatching stuff and walking away with it.”
Sandoval said they’ve had to take additional measures to secure their items.
“We tape the speakers now, and we leave them empty; we used to have them displayed,” she said, adding that they’ve also increased the number of security cameras.
Noemi Boutique
“We’re busy. This is one of the busiest stores, as you can see. So we don’t have, we don’t have a way to always keep track of what really goes on,” said Sandoval.
Back at Noemi’s shop, she hired private security after this week’s incident.
“What happened, happened, but hopefully there will be justice,” she said.
Other businesses in the strip mall told Denver7 off camera that they are also concerned about the recent uptick in crime.
The Denver Police Department could not confirm if this specific strip mall will see an increase in patrols but said any business owner can call to request additional patrolling in the area.
‘A traumatic experience’: Denver retailers see spike in brazen theft
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For the past six months, a Denver man has been helping to ensure new immigrant families have access to home-cooked meals.
Since November, Arthur Infante said he has been building makeshift kitchens for newcomers who were living at encampments throughout the city.
“I know if I was in their shoes, it would be amazing to have somebody help,” said Infante.
Denver7
Earlier this month, after the last encampment Infante was helping out was cleared in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, families were taken to a shelter off Zuni.
Infante connected with city staff who allowed him to put up a makeshift kitchen in the shelter’s parking lot.
He said about 8-10 families use the shelter daily for lunch and dinner.
Arthur Infante
December 2022: Infante put up a make-shift kitchen at an immigrant encampment located on 48th and Fox Streets.
“I just bring in ingredients and they do the rest,” said Infante. “When they can cook for themselves, it gives them a sense of dignity, pride.”
Infante’s efforts are also a way he keeps his late mother Connie’s memory alive.
“My mom was always cooking for people. This is just a way to honor her. So it’s, it’s just called ‘My Mother’s Kitchen.’ And all it is is a place where you can cook,” he said.
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Aleinis Ochoa, who recently immigrated from Venezuela two weeks ago said she and the other shelter guests make sure to keep the kitchen clean and organized.
“Truthfully we are so thankful for what he does for us,” Ochoa said in Spanish.
There’s no timeframe for how long the kitchen will be set up but Infante said he will continue supporting these families as best he can.
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Bianchi, 55, was booked into the Downtown Detention Center on Tuesday on suspicion of six counts of sexual assault and one count of unlawful sexual contact related to three separate cases, according to the Denver Police Department.
Two of the alleged incidents occurred around Halloween 2020 and the third happened just last week, according to police.
Bianchi is accused of three counts of sexual assault, all felonies, on Oct. 31, 2020, in the 700 block of East Colfax Avenue; one count of unlawful sexual contact, a misdemeanor, on Nov. 1, 2020, in the 900 block of West First Avenue; and three counts of felony sexual assault on April 7 in the same block on West First Avenue, according to Denver police.
DENVER — The fiancée of a man who was killed in a road rage incident on Interstate 70 in July 2022 said she is happy with the 22-year sentence that was handed down to the shooter Tuesday.
Tamra Holton said she misses the little things from her time with Kevin Piaskowski.
“It’s just the day-to-day things — coffee and breakfast and movies and walks,” Holton said. “We had gotten engaged a month-and-a-half before he was killed. So we, you know, we were best friends.”
Piaskowski was on his way home when he was killed during a road rage incident at I-70 and North Quebec Street on July 31, 2022. Prosecutors said the shooter — Jameel James — was driving a stolen vehicle at the time of the incident.
James, now 18, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to second-degree murder in connection to Piaskowski’s death. He was 17 years old at the time of the shooting. He was sentenced on Tuesday to 22 years in prison.
Holton said the family was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
“Given, like, history and, like, statistics and how juveniles are treated in the system, it’s very unlikely to get anything,” she said. “I think we all went into it expecting the worst, which would have been seven years in a youth facility center. So when we heard 22 years, we were all pretty relieved.”
In a statement, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said Tuesday that James was “old enough to know what he was doing and must be held accountable.”
“This was a senseless and completely unprovoked murder on one of Denver’s major highways. Mr. Piaskowski was simply driving his car when he was shot and killed by Jameel James,” said DA McCann, “Although Mr. James was young at the time, he was old enough to know what he was doing and must be held accountable for this tragic event. We agree with the judge’s sentence and hope that it sends a message to young people in Denver that the use of guns to cause injury and death will not be tolerated.”
Holton said it’s important that she continues speaking out.
“I think there’s a lot of shootings that have taken place that are with youth and underage people that are, you know, if we would have gotten to trial, he could have walked free depending on how that went,” said Holton, “I just think it’s time for them to start making a change, you know, the justice system and treating them more like adults.”
Although no amount of jail time can bring Kevin back, the fiancée hopes this can help spark a change.
“There’s like no justice that will feel that’s ever served. But given the circumstances and entering a plea deal with him guaranteeing time instead of going to trial, we all felt that it was almost closest to the max of the sentencing he could have,” said Holton.
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DENVER — The heavy snow this week was not enough to shut down a large encampment full of newcomers from Central and South America that has been set up near Elitch Gardens in Denver.
Wednesday, outreach workers with Denver Dream Center visited the encampment to offer shelter to dozens who have been living in tents there, ahead of the big snowstorm.
That day, Denver7 saw at least 50 residents at the encampment, including five children.
While all of the families with children took the help and got into a shelter ahead of the snow, the majority of individuals staying at the encampment decided to brave the weather.
Juan Carlos Peoltelli said he decided to stay put.
“Not just me, several of these guys decided to stay here,” Peoltelli told Denver7 in Spanish.
Peoltelli said that decision came because they didn’t want to lose their spot and several of them used the opportunity to make some money by shoveling snow.
Encampment near Elitch Gardens still up after storm, set to close at the end of month
“The next day, even the same night, they all went to work,” he said.
Peoltelli was told that the encampment would be cleared out on March 28.
Jon Ewing with Denver Human Services said Elitch Gardens has requested that it all be resolved by the end of the month.
Ewing added that the park has been patient and willing to work with the city and folks in the encampment.
Ewing said everyone at the encampment will be offered time in congregate shelter while they figure out their next move. He said they will allow individuals to stay in the shelters for 21 days.
Peoltelli tells Denver7 that all they are asking for is the opportunity to work.
“All we’re doing here is trying to survive,” Peoltelli said.
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DENVER — More than 100 people gathered for the Empower Youth Town Hall at West High School in Denver Saturday.
The event was organized by the Silva Family Foundation and Generation Schools Network (GSN,) a Colorado-based nonprofit that co-creates healthy school ecosystems by partnering with educators, students, families and communities.
The two groups have been a part of introducing new legislation, HB24-1216, that outlines the Justice-Engaged Student Bill of Rights (JESBOR).
Sponsors of the bill said it would help students who get in trouble with the law, get back on track with their education faster.
Alison Lauge, the Vice President of Development and Partnership for GSN said around 22,000 students in Colorado are impacted by this annually.
“We found that there’s a lot of bumps and issues that they run into, and things that kind of prevent them from getting back into school quickly,” said Lauge. “We introduced a bill to talk about a Student Bill of Rights establishing a hotline. So once a student becomes justice-engaged, a parent can call into the hotline and get advice and guidance. And really, it’s just trying to solve for some of those students that run into issues once they become justice engaged to get them back into school quicker.”
Empowered Youth Town Hall addresses gun violence, youth issues in Denver
Denver7 spoke with a high school freshman who attended the town hall and said it was important for her to participate to speak about the variety of issues youth are facing.
“We’re speaking for ourselves and speaking what we’re doing and speaking for the community,” said student, Angelique Lovato.
Panelists included Denver city council members, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas, Rep. Jen Bacon, DPS School board Director Marlene DelaRose, youth panelists and more. It took place to address the intersection of education, gun violence, justice engagement and community solutions, according to event organizers.
“Just the response we’ve seen from students, I mean, it’s a beautiful Saturday morning, and yet they’re here because they want to give that input on their future, and those things that are affecting them,” added Lauge.
Students and families can take part in the 100 Voices Student survey, to provide testimony to the legislature.
