Waking up to headlines about a shooting last night Denver area residents have to navigate is becoming a heavy routine. This morning, specifically Friday, January 16, 2026, the news is particularly grim. It wasn't just a localized dispute; we are looking at a high-stakes scene involving law enforcement that has left a community on edge and a deputy in the hospital.
The chaos erupted at the Caraway Apartments. That's a complex located right near the busy interchange of U.S. 36 and Interstate 25, specifically around 7401 Broadway. For anyone who drives that stretch of I-25 or the Boulder Turnpike, you know how congested it gets. But at 6:00 a.m. today, it wasn't traffic slowing things down—it was a sea of red and blue lights.
The Details of the Broadway Incident
Early reports from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office are still coming in, but here is the gist of what went down.
A deputy was shot.
This happened in the early morning hours, and the response was immediate. The deputy was rushed to Denver Health, which is the primary Level 1 trauma center for these types of critical incidents. We don't have a confirmed status on their condition yet, which is always the most agonizing part of these stories. Honestly, the silence from official channels usually means the situation is fluid and sensitive.
But the deputy wasn't the only one hit.
Authorities have confirmed that at least one other person was shot during the confrontation. We don't know if this person was a suspect, a bystander, or someone else entirely. Denver Health is currently treating multiple patients tied to this specific scene.
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Why the Area Was Locked Down
If you were trying to get kids to school in the Mapleton Public Schools district this morning, you felt the impact directly. Because the shooting happened right at the Caraway Apartments, several schools had to pivot immediately.
The following schools were placed on a two-hour delay:
- Global Primary Academy
- Global Intermediate Academy
- Global Leadership Academy
- Performing Arts School on Broadway
Bus routes were a mess. The administration building for Mapleton Public Schools also pushed its start time back. When a shooting last night Denver or early in the morning occurs near residential hubs, the ripple effect on local infrastructure is massive. You've got forensics teams, investigators from the Critical Incident Response Team, and dozens of patrol cars blocking access points.
A Rough Week for the Metro Area
It feels like the Denver metro area hasn't had a moment to breathe lately. This morning's violence comes just 48 hours after a separate fatal encounter in Thornton. On Wednesday, January 14, a shooting near 96th and Huron led to a high-speed pursuit that ended near 56th Avenue and Federal Boulevard.
In that case, one person was found dead inside the suspect's vehicle.
It's a lot to take in. You've got the Westminster park shooting from last weekend where two people were just arrested after a manhunt on I-70, and now this Broadway incident. It’s a lot of "heavy" news for one week.
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Understanding the Investigation Process
When a deputy is involved in a shooting, the Denver District Attorney’s Office and the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) step in. This is standard. They have to determine exactly who fired, how many rounds were spent, and whether the use of force was justified under Colorado law.
- The scene is cordoned off for ballistic evidence.
- Body-worn camera (BWC) footage is pulled and reviewed.
- Witnesses within the apartment complex are interviewed.
Sometimes this process takes months. The public wants answers now—kinda understandably—but the legal hurdles are high.
What This Means for Local Residents
Living near 74th and Broadway means you're used to noise, but not the sound of gunfire at 5 a.m. Residents at the Caraway Apartments were told to stay inside while the scene was processed.
Is the area safe now?
The Adams County Sheriff's Office hasn't mentioned an active "manhunt" at this exact hour, which usually suggests the immediate threat is contained or the parties involved are accounted for. However, the heavy police presence will likely remain through the afternoon as they canvas for shell casings and talk to neighbors who might have seen the lead-up to the shots.
The intersection of U.S. 36 and Broadway is a major artery. If you can avoid it, do so. Even as lanes reopen, the "rubbernecking" factor usually keeps things at a crawl.
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Safety and Next Steps
If you live in the North Denver or Adams County area, there are a few things you should actually do today to stay informed and safe.
Monitor Mapleton Public Schools alerts. If you have kids in the district, check their official X (formerly Twitter) feed or website. Delays can turn into closures if the investigation extends past midday.
Check your dashcam or Ring footage. If you live at the Caraway Apartments or were driving on Broadway near U.S. 36 between 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., your footage might be the key to the investigation. Investigators often look for specific vehicle makes or fleeing individuals that patrol cars might have missed in the initial chaos.
Avoid the Broadway and 74th corridor. Use Pecos Street or Federal Boulevard as north-south alternatives. The bottleneck at the I-25/U.S. 36 interchange is expected to be significantly worse than usual.
Stay updated through official channels. Follow the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Denver Police Department on social media for real-time updates on road openings. They are the only ones with the verified facts as this "shooting last night Denver" story continues to evolve throughout the day.