FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Police in a Denver suburb on Friday mourned an officer killed in a shootout on a city bus that also killed a gunman, wounded three other officers and injured a bystander.
Lakewood police identified the slain officer Friday as Nic Graham, who since joining the force in 2019 had become a decorated member and trainer. One of the three officers hurt remained hospitalized.
The shooting in Lakewood on Denver's west side happened after police got a call about a suspicious person, possibly involved in an earlier hit-and-run, trying to board a bus, according to police.
After several police cars surrounded the Regional Transportation District bus, officers rushed in and one boarded, said Teddy O’Brien, a driver who was stopped at a red light nearby.
“As soon as they get onto the bus on the other side, shots just start ringing out from both sides,” O’Brien told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday.
The bus' interior lights were on and only one or two people, besides the officer who boarded, could be seen on the bus toward the back, O’Brien said.
Most victims have been released from the hospital
Everyone admitted to Denver Health Medical Center from the shooting scene was discharged Friday morning, said hospital spokesperson Deydra Bringas, who declined to say how many people that was.
Another injured person remained Friday at CommonSpirit-St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood with non-life-threatening injuries, hospital spokesperson Lindsay Radford said.
Radford deferred to Lakewood police to identify those who remained hospitalized. One of the three wounded police officers remained hospitalized Friday, Lakewood police said at a news conference.
Police did not release the condition of the hospitalized officer, nor name any of the wounded officers or the injured bystander.
Police calls involving Denver buses in recent years included a 13-year-old boy who in 2024 allegedly shot and killed a 60-year-old man whose leg was blocking the aisle.
Witness describes moments of terror as gunfire erupts
The shootout happened at a busy intersection about 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of downtown Denver. O'Brien, a 23-year-old AI consultant, said he tried to duck in his car and protect himself as the shots rang out.
“It was just scary, I didn’t know what to do besides that,” he said. “I didn’t want like a stray bullet to hit me. It sounded at that point that bullets were flying everywhere.”
O'Brien said the inside of the bus appeared to get smoky during the shootout, and he saw flashes of possible gunfire. The officer in the bus aisle appeared to wince and step back as the shooting began, he said.
“I honestly never thought I would see something like that in my lifetime,” he said. “That was a hard thing to witness. I think I saw the suspect getting hit with bullets.”
O'Brien estimated around 20 shots were fired.
Slain officer remembered as ‘dependable teammate’
Graham came from a police family. His father recently retired after police work, and his mother worked in a crime lab, Lakewood Police Chief Philip Smith said in a news conference Friday.
Over his career, Graham was involved in 322 cases, the biggest caseload of the department's major crimes team. In 2023, Graham received a department award for gang intelligence work, investigative support and helping with major investigations into false calls for emergency help, Smith said.
“His accomplishments tell us what he did. The gratitude of those he helped tells us how much his service mattered,” Smith said.
Graham was a dependable teammate who contributed wherever needed, Smith added.
"Our hearts are heavy, and we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their loved ones, lifting them up in unwavering support, love, and prayer during this unimaginable time,” the police department posted on social media.
Police gather to pay tribute to the officer who died
Dozens of area police officers assembled outside a hospital after the shooting, and a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” in tribute to the slain officer. A procession of police vehicles then proceeded to the coroner's office.
People placed flowers on the hood of a police SUV as a memorial to the officer outside the Lakewood Police Department.
Police from neighboring agencies were helping with patrols and calls as department members grieved and offered support to one another, the department said.
Police in Lakewood, population 157,000, call their officers agents because the department was initially modeled after the FBI, according to the department's website.
“Law enforcement put their lives on the line for our safety every day,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “Thank you to law enforcement who run into danger to keep us safe and to protect our communities.”
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Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut, and Gruver from Fort Collins, Colorado. Associated Press writer Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.
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