A Denver man, identified as Tyrell Braxton, age 25, has been convicted by a federal jury for the possession of ammunition as a felon, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Following a trial that laid bare the events of an August 19, 2023 shooting, Braxton is now awaiting sentencing set for January 29, 2025.
Surveillance footage revealed that Braxton was holding a firearm and repeatedly displaying it to individuals gathered at the Denver intersection of 28th and Welton before the early morning shooting transpired. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Braxton is seen going face to face with a man, subsequently firing six shots in his and nearby onlookers' direction, an act that led to one fatal shooting and left two women injured. "Violent criminals have no place on our streets," Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch stated, stressing the commitment to hold repeat offenders accountable. The confrontation sparked a broader shoot-out, with 71 shell casings from eight different firearms being found at the scene by law enforcement.
Braxton, who attempted to avoid apprehension post-shooting, was on federal supervised release for a former firearm possession conviction at the time of the incident. The press release from the Attorney’s Office detailed his previous prison release in April 2023. The investigation that followed Braxton's latest criminal conduct was led by the Denver Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Celeste Rangel and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Perczak were the prosecutors in charge of the case.
This conviction forms part of the broader strategy under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), explicitly designed to address violent crime and gun violence. The PSN program collaborates with various law enforcement levels and community organizations to foster trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting efforts to prevent violence proactively. The strategy, which was bolstered in May 2021, focuses both on strategic enforcement and measuring the tangible results of these efforts in communities across the nation. United States District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson presided over Braxton's trial, which unfolded against the backdrop of concerted efforts to make neighborhood streets safer.
