A 17-year-old boy shot near West 14th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard late on Aug. 21 has died, and Denver police say no arrests have been made in the case. The victim was identified by the Denver medical examiner's office as Jose Andrade Murillo, who was taken to a hospital after the shooting but died several days later.
According to the Denver Gazette, the shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. near the intersection that forms the boundary between Denver and Lakewood, and Denver police initially believed it had occurred in Lakewood before the case was transferred to Denver police. The medical examiner's office began investigating Murillo's death on Tuesday, and the Gazette reports the investigation remains ongoing.
Murillo was transported from the shooting scene to the area of West 16th Avenue and Meade Street, several blocks away, rather than immediately meeting paramedics at the scene. As reported by 9NEWS, the people transporting him believed a medical facility was located at that intersection.
Why Bystanders Drove To A Closed Clinic
That belief traces back to a facility that no longer exists. The stretch near West 16th Avenue and Meade Street once housed Sloan's Lake Medical Center, according to Colorado Politics, before the property was slated for multi-family housing redevelopment. The legacy of the former clinic apparently lingered in the neighborhood even after it stopped operating, leading Murillo's companions to a residential intersection rather than directly to an open emergency room.
The confusion over jurisdiction adds another layer to the case. Sheridan Boulevard serves as the dividing line between Denver and Lakewood, and a Denver Regional Council of Governments study cited by 9NEWS found the corridor logged 4,076 crashes and 17 fatalities between 2018 and 2022, making it one of the metro area's most dangerous stretches. The boundary has seen violence before: 9NEWS reported a fatal double shooting near West 14th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Lakewood back in April 2023 that left two people dead and triggered a multi-agency investigation.
A Summer Marked By Rising Homicides
Murillo's death comes amid a broader spike in deadly violence across Denver this year. Denver Police Department data reported by 9NEWS in July showed that while overall crime in the city dropped 0.4% during the first half of 2026, homicides surged nearly 37% compared to the same period in 2025 — the only major crime category trending upward. In response, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas announced a new Violence Suppression Action Plan on July 31, deploying an overnight Violence Response Team and expanding Place Network Investigations across police districts, according to the Denver Gazette, after the department recorded 10 homicides in July alone.
The trend marks a reversal from recent years. Colorado Ceasefire has reported that firearm deaths among Denver children and teens had dropped from 9 in 2024 to just 4 in 2025, a multi-year low before this summer's surge. The City and County of Denver notes that roughly 700 young people age 25 and under are directly impacted by gun violence annually in the city, based on hospital discharges, emergency department visits and crime reports.
Sheridan Corridor's History Of Youth Gun Violence
This is not the first time the Sheridan Boulevard corridor has drawn scrutiny over youth gun violence. Hoodline reported in March on a 19-year-old sentenced to 35 years in prison for a fatal January 2025 shooting along South Sheridan Boulevard. Just two weeks before Murillo's shooting, Hoodline also covered a non-fatal shooting along South Sheridan Boulevard that remained unsolved as police searched for clues.
Denver police have not announced any arrests in Murillo's death, and the investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867; tipsters who help lead to an arrest and charges in unsolved Denver homicides are eligible for cash rewards of up to $2,000 through the program.
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