DENVER -- A judge sentenced a gang member to nearly five years in federal prison after a shootout at a car wash with a rival gang in east Denver.
Dedric Mayfield, 39, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The shooting happened on Sep. 22, 2015 at a car wash located off East 35th Avenue and Downing Street.
The Denver Division of the ATF and the Denver Police Department both investigating the shootout.
Surveillance video shows Mayfield open fire on a group of rival gang members just steps away from two innocent young children.
"It was the middle of the afternoon at a popular gas station," said Chris Amon, supervisory special agent with the ATF. "You see those two kids in the minivan, and every time I think thank God they weren't hit."
The shootout left two gang members dead, including a friend of Mayfield's.
Amon said they were able to charge Mayfield, even though a weapon was never recovered, using the video and shell casings left at the scene.
"There it is. If you notice the shell casing went on top of the vehicle there; that's going to be later recovered by investigators," he said.
The ATF said that evidence, along with the video, is what helped put Mayfield behind bars.
"It is rare that the ATF charges just ammunition, but in this case, we were able to ensure that he was taken off the street," said Amon. "In this case, we never recovered the firearm, but the statue says firearm or ammunition. You don't necessarily need the firearm to charge a convicted felon."
The ATF said it hopes Mayfield's sentence sends a strong message.
"We won't tolerate that here, and we will get you by any means necessary," said Amon.
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