In the Whittier neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, the evening of March 30, 2024, took a violent turn for 37-year-old Marvin 'Big Monster' McCullough, a Black/African American man. McCullough was at a barbecue hosted by members of the Crips gang at Fuller Park, located near East 29th Avenue and Gilpin Street, when he was fatally shot. The incident occurred just before 7 p.m. while he was seated in the driver's seat of a Mercury Cougar.
He sustained five gunshot wounds to the right side of his body. Despite being rushed to a hospital and efforts by officers to perform CPR, McCullough succumbed to his injuries. The Denver Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that his death was a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting led Denver Police detectives to identify 30-year-old Zachary Rice as the primary suspect. According to police reports, both McCullough and Rice were members of the same gang and had been engaged in an ongoing feud for the past year. A witness informed police that Rice had admitted to the shooting, stating that it was a situation of 'either me or him.' This personal conflict is believed to be the motive behind the fatal encounter at the park.
Following the shooting, a public vigil was held for McCullough three days later in the same location. This gathering, intended to be a place of mourning, also erupted in violence when a confrontation escalated into another shooting, leaving three people injured. Fortunately, all three victims of the vigil shooting were expected to survive. This second incident highlighted the tensions that lingered in the community following McCullough's death.
Zachary Rice remained at large for several months until his arrest in Lincoln, Nebraska, in early October 2024. His capture came about after he was involved in a minor traffic accident. When confronted by officers, Rice initially provided a false name before revealing his true identity, acknowledging that he had outstanding warrants. He attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended. Rice is facing a first-degree murder charge for the death of Marvin McCullough and is awaiting extradition back to Colorado.
