An overnight shooting at a nightclub in southeast Denver left one person dead and eight others wounded, authorities said Monday.
The fatal shooting occurred outside the Ultra Lounge on the 9700 block of East Hampden Avenue, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said during a press conference.
Thomas said officers were initially dispatched to the venue shortly after midnight on Monday following a report of a disturbance, but received an update while en route that shots had been fired in the club's parking lot.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers found one victim in the parking area. He was treated for his injuries and subsequently taken to a local hospital but was ultimately pronounced dead. Eight other victims were also hospitalized for injuries they sustained during the shooting and were listed in stable condition, Thomas said.
Officials believe the incident stemmed from an altercation that occurred between two groups at a separate location on Sunday.
"Apparently that confrontation spilled over to this location later in the day, where they confronted each other on the outdoor patio, as well as in the parking lot, and gunfire ultimately erupted," Thomas said.
The police chief said the gathering at Ultra Lounge was an afterparty for the earlier event, which occurred in the neighboring community of Aurora, located roughly eight miles away from the nightclub. He said no weapons had been recovered as of Monday morning, but evidence, including shell casings found at the scene, suggested at least two firearms had been used in the shooting.
Authorities have not released the identities of any of the victims, including the deceased. No arrests have been made, and police have not identified any suspects in connection with the shooting but do have descriptions of possible individuals involved. Thomas said it is unclear what relationship, if any, the suspects had with any of the victims.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and investigators are in the process of interviewing witnesses, some of whom may have been involved in the initial confrontation, Thomas said.
"So quite a difficult situation and really just kind of trying to piece together exactly what happened leading up to that shooting," he added.
The Denver area has experienced a spate of violent incidents in the past few days. A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department told NTD via email that the overnight shooting was one of four unrelated acts of violence that occurred over the weekend.