Denver police are investigating a report of shots heard near Tamarac Street off East Colfax Avenue, with no injuries reported as of Wednesday night. Officers were still working the scene as the investigation continued, according to the department.
What Police Have Confirmed So Far
The Denver Police Dept. posted the update on X just after 4 pm local time Wednesday, responding directly to a resident who had flagged the situation online. The department said officers are investigating a report of shots heard and that there were no reported injuries at this writing, though the investigation remains ongoing. A referenced reply to the department's post had identified Tamarac Street off Colfax as the location of the reported shots and a police presence, though the department's own statement did not independently confirm those location details beyond acknowledging the report.
Denver Police Dept., based in Denver, Colorado, also reminded residents in its post that its social media account is not monitored 24/7. The department directed non-emergency questions to its police services line at 720-913-2000 and told residents that emergencies should go through a call or text to 911.
A Corridor With a History of Police Activity
The area around East Colfax Avenue and Tamarac Street is no stranger to police response. City planning documents from the City and County of Denver identify the East Colfax corridor as the city's top high-crash corridor and a commercial transit artery where reported police incidents cluster more heavily than in surrounding residential blocks. In March 2022, Denver police responded to a double shooting at an apartment complex near East 19th Avenue and Tamarac Street, just north of Colfax, in which a 14-year-old girl was killed and a 16-year-old boy was injured, according to CBS Colorado. The intersection has also drawn police attention for non-gun incidents, including a May 2014 hit-and-run in which a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle that fled northbound on Tamarac after traveling along Colfax, per CBS News.
The East Colfax neighborhood itself is densely populated, with roughly 10,173 residents and about two-thirds renting their homes, according to demographic data compiled by Niche. Community group The Fax Partnership works with Denver police on quarterly East Colfax Community Safety meetings held at venues along the corridor, where crime updates are shared, and residents can weigh in on department initiatives.
Citywide Violence and a Shifting Detection System
Wednesday's report comes as Denver grapples with a sharp rise in violent crime this year. An August report from the Common Sense Institute found the city had recorded at least 35 homicides through July 20, a 46% increase over the 24 homicides logged during the same span in 2025, putting Denver on pace for its highest quarterly homicide rate on record. The spike has renewed scrutiny of how the city detects and responds to gunfire.
That scrutiny arrives just as Denver's automated gunshot-detection system is being phased out. According to CBS News, the Denver Police Department is allowing its decade-long, $4.7 million contract with ShotSpotter to expire at the end of 2026 while it explores alternative vendors. Department records cited in that reporting show the technology generated 25,217 acoustic alerts across the city between 2020 and mid-2026, leading to 655 arrests and the recovery of 721 firearms. It is not yet known whether ShotSpotter sensors played any role in Wednesday's report near Tamarac and Colfax.
Colorado law treats knowingly or recklessly firing a gun into a dwelling, occupied structure, or vehicle as a Class 5 felony under state statute, carrying potential penalties of one to three years in prison and fines between $1,000 and $100,000, according to Justia Law. No suspects have been identified, and no charges have been announced in connection with Wednesday's report. Anyone with information can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP, where tips leading to an arrest and charges in an active Denver police investigation can qualify for a reward of up to $2,000.
This is the latest in a string of gun-violence reports along the East Colfax corridor that Hoodline has tracked in recent months, including a late-night Colfax shooting in April. Denver police have not said whether Wednesday's report is connected to any prior incidents in the area, and the investigation remains open.
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