A 24-year-old man who opened fire during the mass celebrations after the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 championship win was sentenced to 35 years in prison Friday. Ricardo Vasquez pleaded guilty in January to a single count of attempted murder and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to dis tribute. He was one of multiple people who fired shots in the crowded streets in what police said might have been a drug deal gone wrong during the celebrations on June 13, 2023. “The defendant engaged in a gunfight,” prosecutor Kim Fallone said during the sentencing hearing Friday. “A gunfight where he shot bullets into a crowd of people and police officers.” Fallone named four victims shot by Vasquez, though as part of his agreement with prosecutors, he only pleaded guilty to one attempted-murder count. “These people had nothing to do with the fight the defendant got into with the other individuals that day,” Fallone said. “They’d never met him, they didn’t know him. They were simply people celebrating in the crowd.” Vasquez attempted to withdraw his guilty plea before Friday’s sentencing, telling the judge he was unhappy with his attorneys and that he pleaded guilty only because he faced more than 100 years in prison. The plea agreement capped his prison sentence at 35 years. Vasquez said he opened fire only after he was punched and shot during a dispute. He said he acted in self-defense. “I didn’t go there to shoot anything up,” Vasquez said. “I went there to have fun. But I was forced into a situation to where I had to defend myself. To the innocent people who got hurt, I’m as much of a victim as they are.” Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | Man pleads guilty to role in mass shooting that wounded 10 after Denver Nuggets victory Crime and Public Safety | Victim struggles in ICU after downtown Denver shooting that marred celebration of Nuggets’ NBA Finals win Crime and Public Safety | Shooting that injured 10 after Denver Nuggets’ NBA Finals victory may be tied to drug deal, police say District Court Judge Martin Egelhoff did not allow Vasquez to withdraw his guilty plea and imposed the agreed-on sentence. Vasquez’s supporters wept when the sentence was finalized. Vasquez was one of three people charged in connection with the shooting. Raoul Jones, 35, was arrested as he ran from the scene. He pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon by a prior offender — a low-level felony — and was sentenced to one year in prison, court records show. Kenneth Blakely, 26, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and assault. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a jury trial on April 14. Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day. ...read more read less