Yeshiva Student Shmuel Silverberg murder at Denver Jewish school
DENVER – Denver police on Thursday announced the arrest of
four young men after a crime spree earlier this week in which one person was
hurt and Shmuel Silverberg was killed. A fifth suspect, identified as Samuel
Fussell, remains at large.
“We don’t know the exact motivation other than senseless
violence through multiple locations in our city and the metro area, that these
individuals we believe are responsible for,” said Denver Police Chief Paul
Pazen during a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday night. They are all
21 or younger. They were identified as:
– Isaiah Freeman, 18
– Seth Larhode, 21
– Aden Sides, 18
– Noah Loepp-Hall, 19
They face charges that include first-degree murder, menacing
and aggravated auto theft.
The fifth suspect, Fussell, 19, remains on the run but
police remain determined to catch up to him.
“We are actively working with our partners to get this
suspect in custody,” said Pazen.
Police say they have criminal histories as juveniles, and
all met at a youth correction facility in Golden.
“The fact that we have a group of relatively young
individuals that are willing to go on this type of rampage this type of violent
spree in our community is not acceptable,” Pazen said. “We cannot tolerate this
in our community. It is not OK. And we need the community’s help just like we
need all aspects of the Criminal Justice system to assist in holding people
accountable for their violent crimes.”
The fatal shooting happened late Tuesday night in west
Denver outside of the Yeshiva Toras Chaim Talmudical Seminary near West Colfax
Avenue and North Stuart Street. Silverberg, a student there, was shot and
killed after the suspects approached him. He was from the Cleveland area.
“The murder of the student, Shmuel Silverberg, sent
shockwaves through the Jewish community, not only here in Denver and Colorado
but across the United States,” said Pazen.
Investigators do not believe Silverberg’s murder was a
result of a bias-motivated crime.
“This is further supported by the statements made by the
offenders who agreed to be interviewed last night and early this morning. At
this point, no one has made mention of the victim’s religion or offered any
information indicating they were targeting the school or the Jewish community,”
said Denver Police Cmdr. Matt Clark.
Other crimes that were part of the spree included two
carjackings, one in which a person was critically hurt, and a burglary at a
business in Lakewood. The carjacking happened before the fatal shooting and the
burglary took place the following morning.
“While I can’t comprehend it, the best explanation we have
at this point is that this group of offenders went out and randomly assaulted,
robbed, stole and shot and ultimately killed an individual that evening,” Clark
said.
Police did recover a firearm but continue to search for the
Toyota Rav4. Two other cars were recovered in Denver and Aurora.
“We encourage anyone who has any information about this
crime spree or photos or videos to be shared with us so we can strengthen our
case,” said Pazen.
Anyone with information regarding these crimes is asked to
contact Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). You can text to CRIMES (274637)
then title DMCS and enter your message or send an e-mail to
metro-denvercrimestoppers.com. If the information you provide leads to the
arrest and charging of a wanted individual, you can receive a cash reward up to
$27,000.
The Anti-Defamation League Mountain States REgion welcomed
the arrests of the suspects in the deadly shooting of Silverberg. They released
this statement, “We commend the Denver Police Department and local law
enforcement authorities for their swift action in identifying and arresting
suspects in this horrible killing,” said ADL Mountain States Regional Director
Scott Levin. “While police do not believe the victim was targeted because of
his Jewish identity, the shooting has certainly shattered a sense of peace and
calm in the community. We continue to offer our deepest condolences to the
family and friends of Shmuel Silverberg and extend our support to the entire
Yeshiva Toras Chaim community.”
Comments
Post a Comment