DENVER (KDVR) — Rigoberto Esparza, 18, was the victim of a deadly shooting in the Montbello neighborhood Saturday morning.
This was one of several shooting investigations in the metro area from this past weekend. Neighbors say he was shot outside of a house party, where several dozen people were at the time of the shooting. No one else was shot and neighbors say they heard several rounds of gunfire.
The rental property where he died is where family members held a memorial and balloon release Monday night.
“He was just a happy kid, a loving father,” Joann Gabaldon said. She’s Esparza’s aunt, who spoke with us before the gathering. “He might’ve been at the wrong place at the wrong time,” she added.
Monday night, Esparza’s mother issued a passionate plea to the public to stop the violence.
“This is not fair. They took somebody’s son, father, brother, grandbaby, nephew. He was somebody to us and we loved him more than life itself,” his mother said.
Esparza’s baby boy turns a year old next week. Plans for a birthday party have shifted to plans for a burial.
Anyone with information about this shooting or any other shooting from last weekend is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP.