DENVER — The man who pleaded guilty to the shooting after the 2023 Denver Nuggets NBA Finals win was sentenced to 35 years in prison, the Denver District Attorney's Office announced Friday.
Ricardo Vasquez was sentenced Friday on charges of attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference and intent to distribute a controlled substance. The latter charge carried an eight-year prison sentence that will run concurrently to the attempted murder sentence.
He pleaded guilty in January to shooting into the large crowd of people who were celebrating the championship victory at 20th and Market Streets on June 20, 2023. In total, 10 people were injured in the shooting, three critically.
Watch the raw video of the shooting from June 2023 in our video below.
Vasquez, who was 22 at the time, ran away from the scene of the shooting, but he was arrested near Park and Blake Streets, police said. He was injured in the shooting too.
Denver police searched a nearby vehicle believed to be connected to the shooting and discovered a second firearm on the floorboard. Police said the driver of that vehicle, identified as Raoul Gottfried Jones, then-33, was taken into custody on a charge of possessing a weapon as a previous offender. He pleaded guilty in November.
In addition, Kenneth Blakely, then-24, was arrested on June 23, 2023 in connection with the shooting. Blakely was charged with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault. His trial is set for mid-April.
Prior coverage:
- Suspect pleads guilty in connection with Denver mass shooting following Nuggets' 2023 championship win
- Man discharged from hospital more than two weeks after shooting during Nuggets Finals celebration
- Man shot during Nuggets Championship celebration shares how he's doing one year later
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