(PatriotWise.com) — Denver police are investigating a double homicide after a man and woman were found dead Saturday night in a hotel currently used as a homeless shelter, KMPH reported.
According to an alert from the Denver Police Department, the investigation is ongoing, and so far no arrests have been made.
9News reported that the bodies were discovered Saturday night at about 9:20 p.m. at the DoubleTree on North Quebec Street near Interstate 70.
The names of the two victims have not been released.
The DoubleTree has been operating as a homeless shelter since November, when it was leased by a nonprofit group as part of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s “All In Mile High” program, which sought to house 2,000 homeless people by December 31.
The taxpayer-funded initiative is part of the city’s effort to reduce the number of homeless using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan and FEMA.
By March 13, the city had moved about 1,250 homeless indoors, with 57 percent of them being housed for at least 30 days.
The DoubleTree hotel has space for 450 homeless people.
In addition to dealing with the homeless problem, Denver has also struggled to address the unprecedented number of migrants bused to the city from the southern border.
In early March, the city’s Department of Excise and Licenses sought property owners who would be willing to rent space to arriving migrants.
In promoting his “All In Mile High” program, Mayor Johnston said that the city would need the assistance of nonprofit groups, faith leaders, businesses, and individuals to solve Denver’s homeless problem.
The city is seeking to consolidate shelter operations to reduce the costs. Johnston argued that consolidating would help to alleviate the financial burden caused by the influx of migrants.
Johnston insisted that the city could solve the problem even without the Biden administration’s support.
Since 2022, Denver has seen about 40,000 migrants arrive in the city, which Mayor Johnston has described as a fiscal and humanitarian crisis.
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