In the early morning hours of November 3, 2024, a dispute in a Denver, Colorado gas station parking lot turned fatal, claiming the life of 31-year-old Zelian Ashbury Free-Shaw. A White / Caucasian male, Shaw was fatally shot around 2:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Circle K located at 1300 West Colfax Avenue. His death has been described by those who knew him as the loss of a beautiful spirit.
An investigation into the shooting was launched by the Denver Police Department.
According to details from an arrest affidavit, surveillance footage from the scene showed a man and a woman who appeared to be in an argument. At some point, Shaw seemed to have a verbal interaction with the male suspect. Police characterized this exchange as an argument that tragically escalated into a shooting. The investigation led authorities to identify a suspect in the homicide.
Following the investigation, 40-year-old Deangelo Luarks was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. Luarks was initially taken into custody in another city on a parole violation warrant. Further inquiries linked him to Shaw's death, leading to a formal charge of first-degree murder. Shaw’s passing has deeply affected his community, with friends and family mourning the loss of a man who had a passion for working on anything with a motor and found peace and joy in the mountains.
