Ten people were shot in downtown Denver as people celebrated the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Finals victory early Tuesday, police said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. All of the victims suffered non-life-threatening wounds and were treated at a nearby hospital, and two people were in custody on suspicion of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, police said.

Investigators think the shooting was not related to the celebration but rather to a drug deal that took place while the revelry was winding down. Police found a “significant amount” of fentanyl in bundles at the scene.

There “appears to be a drug nexus” with the shooting, Denver Police Commander Matt Clark told reporters.

Eric Campion, a Denver Health trauma surgeon, told reporters at the news conference that five of the victims remained hospitalized and four required emergency surgery. Five or six of the victims were innocent bystanders, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said.

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The shooting took place around 12:30 a.m. on Market Street, where crowds had gathered to celebrate the Nuggets’ first NBA title, police said.

Officials released camera footage of the crowd and police reaction to the shots that were fired.

Denver Police release video of the shooting at Nuggets celebrations that injured 10

You can see how many officers are there at the time when the shooting happens

DPD Chief says shooting likely stemmed from a drug deal and shooting was unassociated from the celebrations pic.twitter.com/5DhCwJCRYV

— Marc Sallinger (@MarcSallinger) June 13, 2023

Thomas said the shooting took place “steps away” from the numerous officers who were nearby. “Our mere presence didn’t stop this from occurring,” he said.

Fans celebrated after the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA title with a Game 5 victory against the Miami Heat on June 12. (Video: Naomi Schanen/The Washington Post)

Photographs from the scene showed crime scene investigators working in an area cordoned off with police tape, with shoes and baseball caps scattered on the street which hours before was crowded with fans.

The Nuggets’ victory at Denver’s Ball Arena took place about one mile away from the crime scene. CBS News Colorado reported that thousands of fans were in the city’s downtown after the game, where they could be seen celebrating with cheers, fireworks, and dancing.

Before Monday evening’s game, city officials had warned that large crowds were expected in the area and closed several roads across downtown to vehicular traffic.

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