Nico Francis said he was riding to meet friends when a passenger in an SUV fired at him.
DENVER, Colo. — Nico Francis was bleeding on a downtown sidewalk after being shot in the neck when a stranger returned to help, pressed on the wound and kept him alive until police and paramedics arrived.
The April 3 shooting near 18th and Stout streets is now an attempted murder case against Anthony Davon Apodaca, 31. Police say Apodaca shot Francis after a brief, unprovoked confrontation at a traffic light. Francis has said the attack left him with nerve damage, limited use of his right arm and fear that the accused shooter was released from custody on bond before he could begin to feel safe again.
Francis had spent the earlier part of the night at the First Friday Art Walk on Santa Fe, then took a Lime scooter toward Colfax Avenue to meet friends. He said he chose a route through downtown because he liked the city at night and did not expect trouble. Near 16th Street, he saw a white Chevrolet SUV stopped at a light with a passenger yelling at people nearby. The passenger then focused on him, Francis said. The man got out, confronted him and later warned him that he would find him, according to Francis’ account. Francis said he tried not to escalate anything and continued riding.
The same SUV caught up to Francis near 18th and Stout streets, where he stopped at a red light. Francis said the passenger was already armed when the vehicle pulled beside him. He told local reporters the passenger shouted again while people inside the SUV appeared to react to what was happening. Francis said he heard talk about a headshot, then saw the gun aimed at him as the SUV began to move. “I thought that he was just trying to flex, or be aggressive,” Francis said. “But no, he actually took the shot.”
Police said officers were sent to the area just before 11:45 p.m. after reports of gunfire. They found Francis with a gunshot wound to the neck. Witnesses said they heard one shot before the SUV left the intersection. Francis said the first feeling was not pain, but a loud pop and a violent shock through his body. He looked down and saw blood. His right arm went limp. His phone became slick with blood as he tried to call 911. He said he began coughing up blood and understood from his medical background that the wound could become fatal within minutes.
Francis has described one of the most painful moments as his failed attempt to get immediate help from people in a nearby vehicle. He said he walked to the car, told the people inside that he had been shot and asked them to call police. He said they rolled up the window and drove away. Soon after, he lost consciousness. When he came to, another man was holding pressure on his neck. Francis said the man cleaned off the phone enough to help him make the emergency call. “He saved my life,” Francis said of the bystander.
The wound could have killed him, Francis said doctors later told him. The bullet missed major arteries by a small distance and spared his spinal cord, but it traveled through his shoulder area and damaged bone and nerves. Francis has said he still cannot use his right arm normally and does not know whether he will fully regain function. He expected to miss at least a month of work and began raising money for medical bills and basic expenses. He said needing help with simple daily tasks has been one of the hardest parts of the recovery.
Investigators identified Apodaca after officers located a white Chevrolet Tahoe that matched the suspect vehicle, according to reports on the arrest affidavit. Police stopped the vehicle and detained multiple occupants. A passenger later identified Apodaca as the shooter, and investigators also reviewed witness statements and surveillance footage. The affidavit said the passenger in the SUV had been yelling at people at a bus stop before turning toward Francis and asking whether he had a problem. Francis told police he said he did not have a problem before the shot was fired.
Apodaca was charged with attempted first-degree murder. Prosecutors asked for a $100,000 cash-only bond, but the court set a $75,000 bond with surety available. The bond conditions included home confinement, GPS monitoring and a requirement that Apodaca surrender firearms. Francis said the release felt like another blow because it came while he was still recovering from a wound that nearly killed him. He said he understood the monitoring conditions but did not feel protected by them. “I feel a lot more safe if he was in jail,” Francis said.
The case has left officials with several unanswered questions. Police have not announced a motive. Public reports did not say that Francis and Apodaca knew each other before the confrontation. Police also have not said whether the driver or other occupants of the SUV will face charges. The known sequence remains narrow: a white SUV, shouting at people downtown, a confrontation with a scooter rider, one gunshot and a quick arrest. Francis has said he believes the people in the SUV were looking for conflict, but investigators have not confirmed that as a motive.
Francis also has said the shooting changed how he sees a downtown he once defended. Friends and co-workers had warned him about safety in the area, he said, but he often told them to enjoy the city. He walked his dogs downtown, visited restaurants and believed the fear was overstated. After the shooting, he said the same streets now feel different. He has spoken publicly not only about the accused shooter, but also about the stranger who turned back when he was bleeding and alone.
The man who stopped to help has not been publicly identified, but Francis has said his actions remain central to the story. Court proceedings against Apodaca are continuing as Francis works through treatment and rehabilitation.
Author note: Last updated May 6, 2026.