Man fatally shot at Denver funeral of 61-year-old relative

The nephew of a slain northeast Denver grandfather was fatally shot Saturday morning as people gathered for his uncle’s funeral procession — raising frustrations among residents and a community patrol group.

Police said the dead man, in his 20s, was related to Abdul Rahim Muhammad, 61, who was shot this month in his yard nearby.

But police lacked details on the shooting that happened about 11:25 a.m. outside the Denver Gospel Hall at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Gilpin Street. They did not release suspect descriptions because of conflicting witness reports. They also did not say whether shots were fired by mourners or someone passing by.

Following the shooting, police officers with metal detectors were sweeping the area, searching for stray bullets after residents reported hearing a dozen or more shots.

The funeral procession, after a long delay, left the church around 3 p.m. and headed south toward a mortuary and eventually Fairmount Cemetery.

“We showed up too late,” lamented Eric Randall, founder of the 5-year-old community group Brothas Against Racist Cops, clad in black T-shirts at the scene. “We patrol the neighborhood. Our job is to patrol this neighborhood,” Randall said, questioning whether police were talking with the right people to solve the crime.

Residents said they’re deeply frustrated by a surge in violence, including gang-related shootings, but police said they do not believe Saturday’s shooting was gang-related.

There was no police security at the funeral, and Randall agreed with police that neither Muhammad, formerly John Oliver, nor his nephew had gang ties.

Denver Police Chief Robert White and city safety director Stephanie O’Malley issued a joint statement Saturday night asking the public for help. “Although we have already increased our efforts in this area, and will continue to maintain a strong presence there, it is imperative to the community’s safety that anyone with information about these crimes comes forward. We also implore those who are engaged in the type of violence that occurred today to immediately cease their activity. The violence has got to stop. Residents in Denver deserve to feel safe in their community no matter where they live.”

Members of the Brothas Against Racist Cops spoke with residents to figure out what happened. “People are frustrated out here,” group member Mike Johnson said. “People here feel police aren’t doing nothing.”

Police Sgt. Al Shell disagreed, saying police are working actively to respond to residents’ complaints.

“Our gang unit has been very active,” Shell said, and police have met with Cole and Park Hill neighborhood associations and sat down with gang members with guidance from the Rev. Leon Kelley, a longtime anti- gang activist.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said that after the shooting, officers grew worried about their own safety and used pepper spray for crowd control.

Doug Jeremias said he ran outside after he heard 12 to 15 shots. He believes people may have fired back after the initial shots were fired. “It was mayhem. It was hard to make heads or tails of what was going on.”

According to police, the suspects fled on foot.

Staff writer Kirk Mitchell contributed to this report.