A family gathering at Paradice Island Pool in Commerce City on August 10, 2024, ended in tragedy when 28-year-old Malcolm Watson was shot in the head in the parking lot of Pioneer Park while celebrating his son’s fifth birthday. Witnesses say an uninvited man approached Watson and shot him at close range in front of children, family and friends.

The suspect named in the case is 46-year-old Lumumba Sayers, a former MMA fighter who founded a youth mentoring organization called Heavy Hands, Heavy Hearts and who had been known publicly as an anti-gun violence activist. An arrest affidavit alleges Sayers believed Watson was connected to the earlier unsolved killing of Sayers’ son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., though Watson’s family denies any connection and insists he was innocent. Witnesses reported Sayers attempted to fire a second gun that jammed, was seen placing a weapon under Watson’s body, and that a semi-automatic pistol and a loaded magazine were found nearby. Sayers was detained at the scene and reportedly said I wasn’t the only one who shot; another witness described seeing a second shooter who yelled an expletive-laden statement after the shots.

Sayers is being held on a $1 million bond. Anyone who was at the party or witnessed the shooting is asked to come forward with information.