Suspects in Ma Kaing shooting death appear before judge

The four suspects in the shooting death of businesswoman Ma Kaing appeared in court on Thursday. Kaing was killed July 15 outside her apartment complex while she was unloading her groceries from her car.

The suspects are Nu Ra Ah La, 22, Pa Reh, 20, Lu Reh, 22, and Swa Bay, 19. The first three suspects are facing first-degree murder charges with extreme indifference, attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference, and illegal discharge of a firearm.

Reh was already in custody in the Arapahoe County Jail on unrelated charges when the charges against him in Kaing's death were announced. Nu Ra Ah La was arrested in Denver on Aug. 29 and Lu Reh was arrested in Aurora on Aug. 29.

Police located and arrested Bay in Byers. He was apprehended by the DPD Fugitive Task Force, with the help of Adams County Sheriff and Colorado State Patrol. Bay is alleged to have discharged a firearm during the July 15 shooting incident.

The judge has set a hearing for later this month to determine if the suspects will stand trial. 

Detectives said that the suspects were in New Freedom Park when they watched a vehicle driving around the park that they didn't believe should be there. That's when police said that they started firing multiple rounds.

Investigators believe one of those rounds struck Ma Kaing as she was unloading groceries at her home at an apartment building, Hidden Brook Apartments, on 1313 Xenia Street. Officers recovered more than 3 dozen shell casings from the area after the shooting.

Police announced they are hoping to identify another suspect connected to this case in addition to the four arrested.

"We do believe there is another individual who is involved in this case who discharged a firearm who we have not identified. Work is being done to identify this individual and once that is done we will work to obtain an arrest warrant and take that person into custody," said Matt Clark, commander of the Denver Police Department's Major Crimes division, during a news conference last month.

Since Kaing's death, some mobilization has come for the residents living around the New Freedom Park area. Denver has installed more lights and surveillance cameras. They've also looked at response times in the area.