In the summer of 2018, a domestic dispute in northeast Denver tragically escalated, ending the life of 39-year-old Darrion Denzmore Sr. On the afternoon of Monday, July 23, 2018, police were called to the area near East 35th Avenue and North Krameria Street where they discovered Denzmore on the ground with a gunshot wound to his forehead. He was rushed to Denver Health Medical Center, but his injury was fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner would later confirm the cause of death as a gunshot wound and officially rule it a homicide.
The events leading to the fatal shooting began with a woman, identified as Denzmore's roommate, arranging to retrieve her belongings from their shared residence. She was accompanied by a 27-year-old man named Justin Mack. The roommate had earlier reported to police that she and Denzmore had argued and that he had assaulted her that day. In anticipation of a confrontation, she had requested police to be on standby as she collected her things. Before officers could arrive, Denzmore appeared as she and Mack were waiting.
According to the female witness, after a brief conversation with Denzmore, she returned to Mack's vehicle. As they began to drive away, Denzmore allegedly leaned into the passenger side of the car in an attempt to grab her. It was at this moment that she reported hearing a single gunshot. Denzmore fell to the ground. It was Justin Mack who then placed a call to Denver police to report the shooting that had just occurred at the scene.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement took Justin Mack into custody. He was subsequently arrested and faced a charge of first-degree murder. Mack declined to provide a statement to the police without an attorney present. He was held in the Denver County jail without bond following the incident.
