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1 killed, 7 hurt at CO Motorcycle Expo shooting

Posted at 1:07 PM, Jan 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-31 02:58:51-05

All of Sunday's events at the Colorado Motorcycle Expo have been canceled after one person was killed and seven others were injured in a multiple shooting and stabbing inside the National Western Complex early Saturday afternoon, said Denver police Chief Robert C. White. 

Four people were shot, one person was stabbed and three others suffered lesser injuries during the fight, which police believe happened between rival motorcycle gangs at around 12:48 p.m. One of the shooting victims died shortly after, according to police. 

So far, no arrests have been made in the shootings and stabbing. It's also not clear what motorcycle clubs were involved in the fight, according to White.

White said during the Saturday evening press conference that they were interviewing a person of interest as well as several witnesses. 

Officers will continue to monitor the crime scene and will remain there through Sunday as they investigate the cause of the altercation. 

The number of injured has changed over the course of the investigation. An official with Denver Health tweeted earlier that at least 9 people were taken to hospitals following the shootings and stabbing. Denver Health officials later updated their numbers and stated 7 victims were taken to area hospitals:

  • 3 were in critical condition
  • 3 were in stable condition
  • 1 fatality 

Officials also said Denver police will remain around the Denver Health campus until further notice. A lockdown of the Emergency Department was immediately put into place as a precaution and officials had asked the public to avoid the Denver Health campus. The lockdown was lifted around 4:30 p.m. 

No officers or firefighters were injured, DPD spokeswoman Raquel Lopez said. 

Denver7 reporter Brendaliss Gonzalez said at one point people were gathered near a closed off entrance, and that no one who had left was allowed back in. However, the National Western Complex at 47th and Humboldt remained open, and people who were at the expo were allowed to remain there and were not told to evacuate.

Lopez advised people needing to get their bikes to talk to an officer, who would then be able to escort them safely to their bike's location. 

PHOTOS: High tension following multiple shooting, stabbing at Colorado Motorcycle Expo

The Kicker Arena Cross, an indoor motorcycle race, scheduled to be held at the National Western Events Center at 7:30 p.m., will still go on, according to the event's spokesperson. 

The future of the Colorado Motorcycle Expo is uncertain.

"We're going to have to really assess how this event, if at all, will be held in our city," said Denver Manager of Safety Stephanie O'Malley, who was asked how police would deal with future events at the complex. 

Denver police initially tweeted that the shooting occurred at the Denver Coliseum, which is nearby, but on the other side of Interstate 70.

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