In what should have been a joyous celebration, a child's birthday party at Paradice Island Pool in Commerce City on August 10, 2024, turned into a scene of horror and tragedy. Malcolm Watson, a 28-year-old male, was fatally shot in the head in the parking lot of Pioneer Park. The shocking event unfolded in front of his children and other family and friends who had gathered to celebrate his son's fifth birthday.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene where an uninvited man approached Watson and shot him at close range.
The suspect in the shooting was identified as Lumumba Sayers, 46, a man ironically known in the Denver metro area as an anti-gun violence activist. Sayers, a former MMA fighter, founded a youth mentoring organization called Heavy Hands, Heavy Hearts, with the mission of steering young people away from violence. His arrest for first-degree murder sent shockwaves through the community, particularly because of his public stance against the very act he is accused of committing.
Investigators believe the motive for the killing was retaliation. Nearly a year prior, Sayers' son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., was killed in a quadruple shooting. While a suspect was charged in that case, the charges were later dismissed. An arrest affidavit in Malcolm Watson's death suggests that Sayers may have believed Watson was connected to his son's unsolved murder, a claim Watson's family vehemently denies. They maintain his innocence and are left grappling with the senseless loss of a man they describe as a protector who was always laughing and had a smile on his face.
Following the shooting, witnesses reported that Sayers attempted to fire a second gun that jammed and was then seen placing the weapon under Watson's body. Upon arrival, police found a semi-automatic pistol and a loaded magazine near Watson. Sayers was detained at the scene and reportedly made the spontaneous statement, 'I wasn't the only one who shot.' A witness also reported seeing a second shooter who yelled an expletive-laden statement after the shots were fired. Sayers is being held on a $1 million bond.
