AURORA | A 29-year-old man is in jail facing a first-degree murder charge after Sunday’s fatal shooting at Cherry Creek State Park.
Joseph Wayne Washington, 29, was arrested with the help of Aurora police and the FBI, the Arapahoe County sheriff’s office said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
According to jail records, Washington, who is being held without bond, is due in court Thursday.
Investigators said the shooting occurred at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday near the west boat ramp inside the park, and that deputies were called to assist park rangers after the incident.
One adult victim was rushed to a nearby undisclosed hospital and died from gunshot wounds Monday, officials said.
The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office identified the slain man as Jackson Lee Chavez, 26. Chavez died of gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen and his death was a homicide, the coroner said in a statement.
Julie Brooks, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said sheriff’s deputies are leading the investigation and working with rangers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Brooks said Tuesday she couldn’t discuss any possible motive in the shooting or relationship between Chavez and Washington.
The west boat ramp in the park was closed for much of Monday but has since reopened.
According to state records, Washington has been arrested 13 times Colorado since 2007, including on weapons and assault charges.
Washington’s mug shot has not been released.