Fourteen-year-old Mikail Nasir Khalid Payne, known as Nasir, was fatally shot at the Montbello Recreation Center in northeast Denver on the evening of May 21, 2026. Family accounts say Nasir and his older brother Hassan were involved in an altercation with two other youths; Nasir stepped in to defend his brother and was struck by a single, fatal gunshot fired by a third person who had been on the sidelines. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nasir’s family and community remembered him as respectful, kind, and enterprising — helping with the family landscaping business and selling perfume oils, and regularly attending services at a local Islamic center. The recreation center was closed indefinitely, and a GoFundMe was set up to help with funeral costs.

The Denver Police Department said the incident was isolated and involved people who knew one another. The day after the shooting, a juvenile male was arrested and held in custody for investigation of first-degree murder; his name has not been released because of his age. No public announcements about formal charges, trial dates, or sentencing have been made.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or knew Nasir and has information that could help the investigation, please come forward.