The two men were taken to the hospital in serious condition, police said.
Jun 15, 2023 5:05pm ET
• 4 min reading
Two men were injured in what appeared to be a targeted shooting Thursday as revelers left downtown Denver after a parade by the Denver Nuggets, who won their first NBA title Monday night.
The two men were taken to the hospital in serious condition, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said at a news conference.
Stressing that the shooting was unrelated to the parade, Thomas described the shooting as people who were “armed with guns and acting irresponsibly.”
Two men were injured in what appeared to be a targeted shooting as revelers left downtown Denver after a Denver Nuggets parade on June 15, 2023, ABC News
Brittany Gioso told ABC News she was walking home from the parade with a group that included her mother when she saw a man draw a gun a few yards away.
She said she heard three shots and “ran and tried to take cover.”
Two men were injured in what appeared to be a targeted shooting as revelers left downtown Denver after a Denver Nuggets parade on June 15, 2023, ABC News
Gioso, a nurse, said her thought was, “Please don’t shoot me in the back.”
“It’s just so sad,” she said. “You want to call your friends and family right now … and tell them you’re fine.”
Her mother, Michelle Gioso, tearfully said: “We were in a big group and I didn’t know where she was, I didn’t know she was safe.”
Two men were injured in what appeared to be a targeted shooting as revelers left downtown Denver after a Denver Nuggets parade on June 15, 2023, ABC News
About an hour before the shooting, a Denver police sergeant who was working on the parade was struck by a fire truck and suffered a serious leg injury, police said.
The sergeant was at the front of the fire truck trying to protect the public from the vehicle when the vehicle overturned, pinching his leg, the chief said.
The sergeant is currently undergoing surgery, the chief said.
Ten people were shot dead Monday night in one of the main areas where crowds in Denver gathered to celebrate the Nuggets’ victory, police said. All injuries were non-life threatening.
According to authorities, the shooting was related to a drug deal and two suspects were arrested.