In the early hours of November 5, 2023, a dispute outside a gathering in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood erupted into gunfire, leaving two men dead and five others wounded. One of the men killed was Michael David, a 43-year-old Black man. The shooting took place around 3 a.m. at the Hell’s Lovers Motorcycle Club, located in the 5500 block of East 33rd Avenue.
The other man who lost his life was Joshua Batts, a 39-year-old Army veteran and father of five.
According to court documents, the violence began after two men, Shon McPherson and Todd Washington, confronted security personnel in front of the building. During the confrontation, Washington allegedly raised a firearm and pointed it at someone. Investigators stated that McPherson fired the first shot toward security while running to a sedan. He fired twice before other people returned fire, after which Washington also began shooting. In the ensuing chaos, a total of seven people were shot, including McPherson and Washington. Michael David and Joshua Batts succumbed to their injuries.
The Denver Police Department’s investigation led to the arrests of the two alleged shooters. The Denver District Attorney’s Office charged both Shon McPherson, 32, and Todd Washington with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree. At the time, District Attorney Beth McCann called the incident a “senseless shooting” and an example of the “tragic consequences that often result when people try to solve disputes with firearms.”
In July 2025, a jury found Shon McPherson, then 34, guilty on eight charges, including two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Michael David and Joshua Batts, and charges of attempted first-degree murder. Following the conviction, McPherson faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. His sentencing was scheduled for August 2025.
