By Natalia Rueda 
Nine people were injured in a shooting early Tuesday morning in Denver, following celebrations of the Denver Nuggets’ historic victory over the Miami Heat in the NBA championship. The suspect was arrested by police but the motives for the shooting remain under investigation.
The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. in an area roughly a mile from Ball Arena, where the Nuggets celebrated their first NBA ring. Of the nine injured, three were reported to be in critical condition. The remaining six, including the suspect, sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
At the time of the shooting, there had been a small crowd in the vicinity, though it had “decreased quite a bit” according to police spokesman Doug Schepman. He continued, “It happened in the area where there was the highest concentration of people celebrating during the night.”
Police are now interviewing witnessesIt is still unclear whether the shooting is linked to the festivities in the city following the game, but the incident has sparked fear among locals.
The shooting marks the 290th recorded instance of gun violence in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit organization defines shooting as an armed attack in which at least four people are reported injured, not including the perpetrator.
The city of Denver is now reeling from the tragedy, as the public hopes that the suspect and the victims recover and the city can focus on the Nuggets’ historic win.
