On the evening of March 9, 2016, in Denver, Colorado, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of the Park Hill neighborhood, leaving a young man dead and a woman grievously wounded. Tarell Burton, an 18-year-old male, was shot and killed as he sat in a vehicle near the intersection of East 33rd Avenue and Cherry Street. An autopsy later confirmed that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
A 20-year-old woman with him, identified as Bernice Serrano, was also struck by several bullets and was rushed to a hospital in critical condition with injuries described as life-threatening and life-altering. Burton was a young father, leaving behind a son, Tarell Burton III.
The investigation into the deadly shooting was handled by the Denver Police Department, with the involvement of its gang unit, suggesting that the violence may have been gang-related. Investigators explored the possibility that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. In the weeks that followed the incident, the investigation led to the identification of two suspects. One of the men, 24-year-old Keon Nixon, was apprehended in Fort Worth, Texas, after getting off a Greyhound bus. The second suspect, 19-year-old Eli Mayfield, was arrested in Denver.
Following their arrests, both Keon Nixon and Eli Mayfield were formally charged in connection with the fatal shooting. The charges filed against them by the Denver District Attorney's Office included first-degree murder for the death of Tarell Burton and attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of Bernice Serrano. Prosecutors indicated that the two suspects were acquainted with Burton and Serrano.
