Paramedics transport a man to an ambulance Saturday in Denver.
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White said about 10,000 people were inside the National Western Complex hall at 12:45 p.m. (2:45 p.m. ET) when shots were fired.
“We are interviewing several witnesses and we do have one person of interest who we will be interviewing also”, he said.
Saturday’s event was allowed to proceed due to the heavy police presence and the fact that most people at the expo had already evacuated.
Besides attempting to figure out who was involved in Saturday’s altercation that left one dead and sent multiple others to Denver area hospitals, police are evaluating if this event, which has been held in the city for 30 years, will continue. Heavily-armed Denver Police officers were seen outside the entrances.
Denver Police responded to reports of violence at the National Western Stock Show complex around 1 p.m. The Colorado Motorcycle Expo is being held at the facility this weekend.
The incident occurred at the first day of the Colorado Motorcycle Expo.
A source told KUSA-TV the incident involved two motorcycle clubs. The event was canceled for Sunday.
UPDATE 6:04 p.m. ET: DENVER (AP) – Dr. Kevin McVaney of Denver Health Medical Center said six people were admitted to the hospital.
Another person was stabbed, and three more suffered “lesser injuries” from what was “more than likely” a fistfight, he said. Three were in critical condition and three were stable, he said. The hospital went into lockdown as a precaution to protect patients and staff but the lockdown was lifted later in the afternoon.
Police say the motorcycle expo is ongoing, though some road closures are in effect.
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The Denver Post, describing the incident as a “shooting/stabbing melee”, cited an anonymous witness as saying that the feud was started by rival biker gangs. The club includes military members and law enforcement officers, Whitfield said.
