On the evening of July 13, 2026, 34-year-old James Ruiz was shot and killed at Garfield Lake Park in Denver’s 3800 block of West Arizona Avenue after stepping in to break up a fight between his girlfriend and another woman. Ruiz had been at the park with his 12-year-old son and his girlfriend following a fishing trip; witnesses said he was trying to de-escalate and was not acting aggressively when a man approached and fired a handgun. First responders found Ruiz with a fatal gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say the shooter fled in a dark SUV. According to an arrest affidavit cited by police, the suspect had been told by a group member to just shoot if anything happened, and had armed himself before arriving at the park. A week later, on July 20, 2026, Denver police arrested 24-year-old Fernando Sebastian Chavez and booked him on a charge of first-degree murder; the case is with the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

Ruiz’s family describe him as a devoted father and a protector who had recently been best man at his brother’s wedding. Does anyone who was at Garfield Lake Park that night or who knows more about the dark SUV or the group mentioned have information to share?