In a tragic sequence of events that stunned a Denver community, Nolan Shamarye Ware, a 22-year-old male, was shot and killed on April 25, 2015. His death was particularly harrowing as it occurred while he was gathering with family and friends for the funeral of his great-uncle, Abdul Rahim Muhammad, who himself had been the victim of a homicide just two weeks earlier.
The brazen daylight shooting took place near the Denver Gospel Hall, where the services for his uncle were scheduled to be held.
The morning of his death, Nolan was with his family, preparing to mourn one loss, only to become the center of a new wave of grief. The Denver coroner's office later confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound. The violence that claimed two members of the same family in such a short period prompted an outcry from community leaders and family members, who organized peace rallies calling for an end to the bloodshed that was plaguing their neighborhood. His aunt spoke at a community meeting, expressing the family's pain and the fear that had gripped the area, stating that her nephew did not deserve to die in such a manner.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the Denver Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Authorities believed the shooting was likely gang-related and offered a reward for any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Nolan Ware's death. Despite the public pleas for information and the initial investigation, online sources and news reports available in the years following the incident do not contain information regarding any arrests made or suspects being publicly identified in connection with his murder. The case remains a painful memory for a family that suffered a double tragedy.
