A family gathering at Russell Square Park in Denver on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, ended in gunfire. At least one person in a passing vehicle exchanged shots with at least one person at the gathering. A bullet from a .223-caliber rifle struck 43-year-old Sharon Ware in the head; she died at the scene. Eighteen-year-old Pharrow Ware was also shot in the abdomen and was taken to hospital; he later died of his wounds a week after the shooting.

Investigators located an abandoned, stolen vehicle four hours after the shooting; the occupants of that vehicle have not been identified. Police identified a 34-year-old man who had been at the gathering as the person alleged to have fired the shot that killed Sharon Ware and arrested him, but the Denver District Attorney declined to file homicide charges, saying there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction. Authorities said they are exploring other gun-related charges. No arrests have been made in connection with Pharrow Ware s death and the investigation into motive and the vehicle occupants remains ongoing.

Anyone who was at Russell Square Park that day or who has information about the vehicle or the people inside it is asked to contact Denver police.