Seven people have died in Denver hotel shelters since the beginning of the year, according to data

DENVER — Seven people have died at the city’s hotel-turned-shelter at 4040 Quebec St. since the beginning of the year, according to data from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE).

Medical examiners have not yet determined the official cause of death in five of the cases. The other two deaths were ruled homicides after the March 16 shooting.

Data from DDPHE includes both residents and their guests. DDPHE reports two people each died at the renovated hotels at 4685 Quebec and 4849 Bannock. There are no deaths reported at his two other locations, 4590 Quebec and 7525 E. Hampden.

Mayor Mike Johnston’s All in Mile High initiative’s dashboard records deaths only among residents of converted shelters and microcommunities. The dashboard reports a total of nine deaths, five in former hotels and three in small communities.

The safety of hotel shelters is under intense scrutiny following two shootings in less than two weeks.

A woman was found with a gunshot wound in one of the rooms Wednesday night and taken to the hospital, Denver police said. She is expected to survive.

Hours later, police announced they had arrested Cameron Ware, 34, a resident of the shelter, on suspicion of attempted murder.

Late Thursday, police also announced the arrest of a second suspect and resident, William Jackson, 43.

On March 16, a man and a woman were shot dead in one of the rooms. They were identified as Sandra Cervantes, 43, and Dustin Nunn, 38.

Police are still searching for the suspect in the shooting.

“Those guys were really great pillars of this community. They did so much for the people here. It’s unbelievable,” shelter resident Jason Hutt said. “They weren’t my friends personally, but I know who they are. And they’ve helped so many people. If something bad happens to them, I know who they are. They were just singing its praises long before it happened.”

Hutt said he had been living on the streets for several years and had been in a shelter for several months. He considers his former hotel his home, and he said it has changed him a lot in a positive way.

“I have my own goals, dreams, ambitions, etc., and I can’t develop them.” “If I didn’t have a place to call home, they would never fly,” Hutt said. said. “I want to do my best for the people here, you know, the staff is doing the best job they can.”

The city began beefing up security at shelters in the wake of the March 16 shooting, including adding cameras, security guards and implementing a badge system to monitor people entering and exiting the building. Denver police also increased their presence at shelters.

Denver Department of Public Health and Environment

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas and Denver Office of Housing Stability Executive Director Dr. Jamie Rife spoke about the safety of the converted hotel shelter during a Thursday afternoon press conference.

“We have increased security and have eight full-time security guards. They are staffed by the city,” Chief Thomas said.

Metal detectors were installed at the 4040 Quebec location early last week, making it the only renovated hotel site that currently has metal detectors installed.

Chief Thomas believes the weapon used Wednesday night was in the shelter before metal detectors were installed.

“There may be more dangerous items within that facility, and that’s certainly why we’re asking anyone who knows about it to please let us know,” Chief Thomas said. Told. ”

Dr. Rife said there are many reasons why 4040 Québec has reported more deaths than other converted hotels.

“It’s a pretty big facility. So there’s more people there, that’s one of the reasons,” Dr. Rife said. There are some issues with things like access points, and we have been working on security in this area as well. ”

Hutt doesn’t believe metal detectors will stop someone from bringing a weapon into the shelter.

“Sometimes bad things happen and that’s the way it is. I don’t know how to avoid it. I really don’t know,” Hutt said. “These things happen in tent cities, and no one really cares. So now people care, and that’s great.”

The shelter is in Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis’ district.

Lewis said she is frustrated with the shelter’s provider, the Salvation Army.

She says they don’t provide enough comprehensive services to help residents get back on their feet.

“It’s not enough just to house people,” Lewis said. “These are people with lives and souls, and we don’t just move them from unsheltered homelessness into these facilities, we make sure they have the resources they need to survive. You need to be considerate.”

Lewis says without these services, people become more desperate.

“Can I get food? Do I have transportation? Are there job opportunities if I need mental health support? See a therapist who might be able to help me work through these issues? Can I contact you?’” Lewis said. “I’m not saying it could have been prevented, but I think this conversation should have happened eight months ago and it shouldn’t take death for us to respond.”

At Thursday’s press conference, Dr. Rife said they are working with the Salvation Army to enhance comprehensive support and services.

“We would like to reiterate that the safety of our guests, staff, and surrounding communities remains our top priority,” Dr. Rife said.

The Salvation Army received a $10 million contract from the city and county of Denver to operate the shelter. According to the contract, $808,000 was to be spent on security.

Dr. Rife said the city will consider returning that money because it is currently responsible for security.

“Now that the city is stepping in to increase security, we will be looking at whether the contract needs to be amended,” Dr. Rife said.

The Salvation Army declined to be interviewed Thursday and referred the Denver 7 to the mayor’s office.

In response to the March 16th shooting, the Salvation Army released the following statement:

“The safety and well-being of our staff, customers and community is always our top priority. The Salvation Army is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, as part of the services provided at Aspen (formerly DoubleTree). We have implemented a badge system with photo identification, which all residents and staff must carry at all times to enter the facility. Additionally, all of our Our entrances and exits are secure and we have recently installed additional exterior and interior cameras. We have security guards inside and outside the building. Finally, we are working with the Denver Police Department and have 24 We have police on duty around the clock. The mission of the Salvation Army is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet the needs of humanity in the name of Jesus Christ without discrimination. Neighborhood is the basic human need. Helping people meet their needs is one of the ways we put the words of the gospel into practice, and we commit our work to benefit our communities.

Seven people have died in Denver hotel shelters since the beginning of the year, according to data