Inset, left to right: Anthony Apodaca (Denver Police Dept.) and Nico Francis (GoFundMe). Background: The corner in Colorado where Apodaca allegedly shot Francis in the neck (Google Maps).
A 31-year-old Colorado man is accused of nearly killing a random scooter rider, allegedly shooting the victim in the neck during an unprovoked attack at a traffic light in downtown Denver last week.
Anthony Davon Apodaca has been charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of Nico Francis.
Denver police first responded to reports of gunfire near 18th and Stout streets just before 11:45 p.m. on April 3, according to a police news release. Officers located a wounded man at the scene and initially described the investigation as active while developing suspect information. The department later issued an update identifying Apodaca as the suspect.
Investigators determined the incident began when a white SUV stopped near the victim while he rode a scooter, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Denver Post. A passenger inside the vehicle allegedly yelled at several people waiting at a nearby bus stop before directing his attention toward the victim at a red light.
A witness reportedly told investigators the unruly SUV passenger screamed at the man on the scooter, asking if he “got a problem.”
The victim later told police he responded by telling the passenger that he did not have a problem, but the man still pulled out a firearm and shot him, according to the report.
Witnesses reported hearing a single gunshot before the SUV sped away, police reportedly said. Officers later located the vehicle and detained multiple occupants after another passenger identified Apodaca as the shooter.
Francis told Denver NBC affiliate KUSA what he remembered about his encounter with the shooter after he asked Francis whether he had a problem.
“I tried calming him down. I was like, ‘I don’t know you. I don’t want any trouble, man. I’m just trying to go meet my friends,'” Francis told the station. “He turns and I see him pointing his gun at my face and it totally shocked me. He pulled the trigger and I heard this really, really loud pop, and I look down and I see blood everywhere, and I’m just sitting there thinking is this really the moment that I die? Like I’m going to die on a sidewalk in downtown Denver and I don’t even know why.”
Asked about a possible motive, Francis told local Fox affiliate KDVR he believes the men in the SUV were just “driving around looking for a fight.”
“I think he [Apodaca] just kinda wanted to shoot somebody that night,” Francis said.
One of the most troubling aspects of the ordeal, Francis added, is the fact that Apodaca was released from detention after posting $75,000 bond, which has only compounded his fear.
“I understand he’s on house arrest, but that doesn’t make me feel any better,” he said. “I feel a lot more safe if he was in jail.”
He also credited a bystander with helping to save his life after the shooting. “He saved my life,” Francis said, describing how the man applied pressure to his wound until help arrived.
Francis expanded on the emotional and physical toll in a GoFundMe campaign, writing that he suffered significant injuries and faces ongoing medical treatment and rehabilitation as he recovers.
Apodaca is scheduled to appear in Denver County Court on April 21 for an advisement hearing, records show.
