Victim's Uncle Says Terrance Roberts Targeted His Nephew In Shooting
DENVER (CBS4) - A community leader and anti-gang activist is in jail on a $100,000 bond after a shooting in North Park Hill on Friday.
Terrance Roberts, 37, is facing attempted murder charges. He's a former gang member-turned activist and the founder of the Prodigal Son Initiative.
The victim, Hassan Jones, 22, is in critical condition at Denver Health Medical Center. It's not clear what Roberts' motivation might have been. Witness say he knew the victim well.
Jones' uncle, Jabulani Abdalla, told CBS4 that Roberts shot into a crowd, but had a specific target.
"He came out shooting at everybody. Everybody scattered and my nephew was here and he targeted him," Abdalla said.
Witnesses say Jones was shot five times and twice at close range.
The shooting happened outside the Boys and Girls Club on 33rd and Holly. It's an area that has been the focus of a community turnaround to combat gang violence. In May of 2008 gang members set fire to a shopping center on the same block.
The Prodigal Son Initiative is located on the same block. Roberts said he wanted to eradicate the violence in the neighborhood.
Roberts is being charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault. It's unclear how the shooting will affect his outreach program.
