Seventeen adults with disabilities and four staff members were riding RTD light rail into Denver for a candle-making outing when a man allegedly began harassing them, displaying a box associated with a gun and making repeated references to firearms. The man fled after a staff member activated the train’s emergency stop, leaving riders shaken and prompting an RTD Transit Police investigation.
The incident happened last Friday, after the group boarded at Lincoln Station in Lone Tree. CBS Colorado reported that the man approached group members’ faces, shouted derogatory language aimed at people with disabilities, and continued making comments about guns.
Grace Indiano, a 24-year-old group member with developmental and physical disabilities, told CBS Colorado she was terrified and thought she might die. “I have the right to go to Broadway shows and baseball games,” Indiano said, as parents and staff called for stronger onboard surveillance, fare checks and a clearer emergency response protocol.
A routine outing became a transit safety test
Abby Dew For You, the Douglas County organization that arranged the outing, describes itself as a community-based program for young adults with disabilities. Its activities are built around social connection, independence and practicing everyday life skills in public settings — including getting around without relying on a car.
The group’s staff used the train’s emergency stop during the confrontation, but the stop itself did not automatically summon police or paramedics, according to the account reported by CBS Colorado. RTD’s safety guidance says riders should call 911 during an emergency and use Transit Watch or contact Transit Police for other safety concerns.
RTD’s public security dashboard provides some broader context, although its totals cover everything from graffiti and drug activity to noise complaints and unattended bags. The agency logged 3,045 security-related calls in April 2026 and 2,305 in June, with June’s figure down 19.5% from the same month last year, according to the RTD metrics dashboard.
RTD has confirmed that detectives are investigating the train incident, but no suspect or arrest details were released in the available reporting. Riders who see a safety concern can contact RTD Transit Police through the Transit Watch system, call 303-299-2911, text 303-434-9100, or call 911 if there is an active emergency.
