David Lara was a 59-year-old Hispanic man known in his Denver neighborhood for playing guitar and sharing music. His family remembered him as kind and helpful; he was a father to a daughter and two sons and a grandfather to six. Although he had been experiencing homelessness, he remained a familiar, well-loved presence in the community.

On the afternoon of April 1, 2021, Lara was sitting at a bus stop near Federal Boulevard and Alameda Avenue when a tan SUV drove by and an occupant fired a gun from the vehicle in what was described as gang-related violence. Lara was struck by a stray bullet in the chest and later died of his wounds. A second man at the bus stop, 22-year-old DeAngelo Tafoya (also spelled De'Angelo Tafoya in some reports), was killed as well.

Witnesses described the vehicle, and officers stopped a Honda CRV about five minutes after the shooting. Two 22-year-old occupants, Elias Chavez and Tlaloc Chavez, were arrested after cartridge casings were found in and around the vehicle. The Denver District Attorney filed charges including two counts of first-degree murder. Does anyone have information about David’s life in Denver or that afternoon at the bus stop?