Shooting that left 10 wounded after Nuggets win likely sparked by drugs

A shooting in downtown Denver amid fans celebrating the Nuggets’ first NBA championship victory was likely sparked by a drug deal gone wrong, police said Tuesday. The violence left 10 people wounded, including one of two suspected shooters.

All of the injured are expected to survive, including five or six people that police believe were bystanders not involved in the drug deal, Chief Ron Thomas said at a news conference. He said 20 rounds were fired at the scene, roughly a mile from Ball Arena, where the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Police spokesperson Doug Schepman said the shooting was “in the area where we had the largest gathering of folks celebrating during the night,” but the crowd had “diminished quite a bit at that point.”

The gunfire broke out at around 12:30 a.m. — about 3 1/2 hours after the game — the Denver Police Department said in a statement.

Scott D’angelo was livestreaming when he heard loud pops one after another, sparking pandemonium as people dove for cover or jumped over cement barricades. Police in riot gear ducked and scrambled to draw their guns while yelling for people to find shelter.

Crouching on the ground, the 58-year-old D’angelo said his arms were shaking with nerves and he felt an asthma attack coming.

As officers started to move toward the gunfire, D’angelo heard a female voice not a dozen feet (3 meters) away “screaming out in pain.” Another victim lay just beyond the first, D’angelo said, as officers rushed to provide care.

The shooting ended after roughly 20 seconds, he said after consulting his footage, which he has handed over to law enforcement. As ambulances arrived, D’angelo saw a long trail of blood from a victim who must have been “profusely bleeding,” then he saw bullet casings only feet from where he had dropped to the ground.

The gunfire broke out in downtown Denver’s Lodo district, which is known for its restaurants and nightlife. Yellow police tape sealed off the area overnight Tuesday as investigators scoured the scene, which was dotted with evidence markers and what appeared to be detritus left over from the celebrations.

Receiver Diggs absent from Bills minicamp

Buffalo Bills star receiver Stefon Diggs is not present for the start of the team’s mandatory minicamp, coach Sean Mcdermott said before practice opened on Tuesday.

“I’m very concerned,” is all Mcdermott would say regarding the absence of the team’s top receiver. Diggs had previously skipped the team’s voluntary spring sessions and workouts.

The development comes as a surprise after general manager Brandon Beane said last week he expected all 90 players — including Diggs — to be in attendance this week.

An email sent to Diggs’ agent Adisa Bakari was not immediately returned. Diggs has not commented publicly regarding his reasons for staying away.

Rangers tab Laviolette as their next coach

The New York Rangers have hired Peter Laviolette as their next coach, bringing in a seasoned veteran with Stanley Cup-winning experience to replace Gerard Gallant.

The team announced the move to bring Laviolette aboard on Tuesday, putting the U.s.-born leader in NHL coaching victories in charge at a time of great expectations, with the Original Six franchise firmly in win-now mode.

“With Peter’s extensive experience as a head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team,” general manager Chris Drury said in a statement.

Laviolette replaces Gallant, who mutually parted ways with the Rangers after their first-round playoff exit. Gallant spent just two seasons behind the bench in New York, leading the team to the Eastern Conference final last year.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded in early May to a home in the area “for a well-being check of a woman in her 30s who had not been seen or heard from in several days.” She was later identified as Frentorish “Tori” Bowie.

The toxicology results were negative and the autopsy report listed bipolar disorder in her medical history.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bowie won silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200. She then ran the anchor leg on a 4x100 team with Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix and English Gardner to take gold.