Stephen Long, suspect in deadly road rage shooting on I-25, charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder
The suspect arrested and accused of shooting two brothers in an alleged road rage incident last week has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The Denver District Attorney's Office announced the charges on Wednesday morning.
Stephen Long (age 25) is charged w 2 counts of first degree murder following an alleged road rage incident on I-25 on June 13th. That incident resulted in the shooting deaths of two brothers, Mr. Blake Lucas (age 20) & Mr. Damon Lucas (age 22).https://t.co/NbZUsGe6Q2 pic.twitter.com/0xbXr86Yjz
— Denver DA's Office (@DenverDAsOffice) June 21, 2023
The shooting happened just before 3 p.m. on June 13. According to Denver police detectives, one man was found dead on the shoulder of northbound I-25 between the 6th and 8th Avenue exits and the other was found on the 8th Avenue exit ramp and passed away later at a hospital.
The deceased have been identified as two brothers, Blake Lucas, 21 and Damon Lucas, 22.
According to investigators, the Lucas brothers were riding in one vehicle and Long, 25, was driving a different vehicle behind them. The victims stopped their vehicle in the right lane of traffic between the two exits. The passenger of the victims' vehicle got out and approached Long's car when he, too, stopped.
A confrontation took place, and Long apparently pulled out a gun and fatally shot the other car's passenger.
The other driver then exited and approached Long who, according to DPD's recounting, never got out of his vehicle. Long started to drive away and the other driver grabbed onto the vehicle. Long turned off the highway, onto the 8th Avenue ramp, and fired multiple shots at the other driver, causing him to fall from the vehicle.
A DPD detective heard the shots and saw Long driving away, and followed him. Uniformed officers performed a traffic stop at 13th Avenue and Meade Street minutes later and took Long into custody without incident.
Long first appeared in court on June 14. He remains in custody on a no-bond hold.