On New Year's Day of 2022, a celebration at the Cabin Tap House in Denver's LoDo district turned into a scene of tragedy. Hiyaw 'Joya' Tesfa Zewdie-Walker, a 29-year-old female of Ethiopian origin, was caught in the crossfire of a violent altercation. An argument that began in the basement of the club escalated, culminating in gunfire on the main floor. Hiyaw, who appears to have been an innocent bystander, was struck by the bullets and sadly lost her life on the floor of the establishment.
Another individual, 24-year-old Devonte Phillips, was also killed in the shooting, and two others were injured. Hiyaw, who came to the United States from Ethiopia at the age of six, was a loving mother to a son and daughter, a wife, a certified nursing assistant, and a business owner.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting left a chaotic scene, with friends of the victims screaming and trying to render aid. The shooter fled the club before police arrived. Responding officers found two injured men outside and discovered Hiyaw and Devonte unresponsive inside. Despite the arrival of paramedics, their injuries proved fatal. The Denver Police Department launched an investigation, utilizing the nightclub's ID scanner to track down potential leads. This eventually led them to a house in northwestern Aurora where they located their suspect.
Two weeks after the tragic event, investigators arrested Levi Diecidue. During his sentencing, Diecidue, who was 24 at the time, expressed remorse for his actions, stating his heart was 'filled with rage and anger at the time.' He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault. On June 30, 2023, a Denver District Court judge sentenced him to 62 years in prison for the killings that cut short the lives of two young parents and forever altered the lives of their families.
