One dead as gunfire erupts outside Denver motorcycle expo
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) - A battle between rival bikers involving gunfire and knives erupted on Saturday afternoon outside a motorcycle exposition near downtown Denver, leaving at least one person dead and sending nine people to the hospital, authorities said.
There were no immediate arrests in the mayhem, which took place at the Colorado Motorcycle Expo at the National Western Complex, Denver police spokeswoman Raquel Lopez told reporters. One person was being questioned.
Lopez sought to downplay the extent of the violence, saying it was not a "mass casualty" incident.
Even so, the incident recalled a shootout last May outside a restaurant in Waco, Texas. Nine bikers were killed, 18 injured, and scores were arrested in that incident.
In Denver, authorities were still trying to determine which motorcycle gang or gangs were involved, Lopez said.
Denver Health Medical Center said on Twitter that nine people were transported to area hospitals. Their conditions were not immediately available.
A witness who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation told the Denver Post newspaper that the fight was started by rival biker gangs.
The gun fight occurred during the first day of the annual Colorado Motorcycle Expo, described on its Facebook page as the largest indoor motorcycle swap meet in the country. Organizers expected nearly 3,000 people to attend over the weekend.
Hundreds of motorcycles were parked near the complex when the gunfire erupted.
A representative for the expo was not immediately available for comment.
Police said the show would go on as scheduled.
(Reporting by Keith Coffman in Colorado and Mary Wisniewski in Chicago; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
