Update Regarding East 17th Avenue Homicide/Shooting on Monday Night

Published on September 19, 2023

Officers Arrested Suspect After Brief Pursuit and Successful PIT Maneuver

Denver – Tuesday, September 19, 2023 – At approximately 9:30 p.m., Monday, September 18, Denver Police received a ShotSpotter alert for six gunshots in the area of East 17th Avenue and North Williams Street, followed by 911 calls reporting two shooting victims. The first victim, a 51-year-old rideshare driver, was shot while driving on East 17th Avenue and he subsequently crashed into a tree. The driver was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. The rideshare passenger suffered a minor injury related to the crash.

The second shooting victim is a 31-year-old licensed private security guard who had stopped to assist after hearing the gunshots and crash when he was approached by the suspect, who shot the victim in the abdomen. The victim was transported to the hospital where he remains in critical condition.

The suspect then threatened the injured security guard’s partner who was still in the security company vehicle and stole the security vehicle, fleeing the area.

A quick-thinking Denver Police officer contacted the security company and obtained the GPS location of the stolen vehicle. At approximately 9:46 p.m., DPD officers found the car occupied and parked in the 1300 block of Broadway, and when the suspect began driving away, the officers successfully executed a PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver and took the suspect into custody. Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle, one of which is believed to be a handgun the suspect stole from the security guard after shooting him.

The suspect, Michael Gawain Jackson (6/22/2001) is currently being held for investigation of First-Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, and Felony Menacing. There is no known connection between the suspect and any of the victims, and it appears, at this time, that the shooting of the rideshare driver was random.

Per standard protocol, the Denver District Attorney’s Office will make the final determination regarding charges and the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will release the identity and cause of death for the deceased victim.