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Lisa Calderón: Mayor Johnston’s remarks on mall stabbings ‘callous’ and ‘missed the mark’

Just days after Denver Mayor Mike Johnston addressed the city from the 16th Street Mall, where four people were stabbed, a political rival told local podcasters his words were conflicting and “totally missed the mark.”

“I saw that he put his little podium out there for his press event,” Lisa Calderón, who ran against Johnston in a crowded field of mayoral aspirants in 2023, told the City Cast Denver podcast on Friday. “And I think within the same sentence of giving condolences to the victims, he said what a ‘vibrant downtown’ it is.”

“And I just thought that that was a very callous way to talk about a tragedy where two families are planning funerals unexpectedly,” Calderón said. 

She added: “So, you know, for Johnston to go out there and just say, ‘Hey, this is bad, but it’s unusual and let’s get back to business, downtown is safe’ I just thought totally missed the mark.”

Calderón, who came in third in the mayoral race, eventually endorsed Johnston in the runoff election.

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas joined Johnston at the Jan. 13 press conference, in which, less than a day after police arrested 24-year-old Elijah Caudill, the two leaders sought to reassure Denver residents that downtown Denver is safe.

Authorities have charged Caudill with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and four violent crime sentence enhancers. Investigators said he killed two people with a butcher-style knife and injured two others in a stabbing spree that lasted two days. 

When asked for comment about Calderón’s comments, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said “nothing is more important than people’s safety in our city, including downtown.”

“Mayor Johnston expressed his sincere sympathies for the victims and their families and our thoughts continue to be with the loved ones of Nicholas Burkett and Celinda Levno, as well as the two others who were injured. We will not rest until justice is delivered on their behalf,” spokesperson Jon Ewing said in a statement to The Denver Gazette. 

“The mayor described the horrible attack earlier in the week as tragic and catastrophic, while acknowledging that it was an incredibly rare event in our city where we are seeing significant public safety improvements across the board,” Ewing added. “The mayor remains laser-focused on working with our public safety teams to ensure that they have every resource needed to make our city the safest in the country and has already increased police presence downtown.”

Johnston’s press conference was interrupted by an unidentified pedestrian walking behind the mayor.

“I saw you at the parade,” yelled the pedestrian, using an expletive directed at the mayor.

“This is your fault!” the heckler yelled. “Crime-loving Democrats are burning this city down!”

Denver Gazette Digital Director Dan Boniface contributed to this story.

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