This week, Arapahoe County Judge Joseph Whitfield sentenced Henry Griffin III, 28, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a deadly shooting outside a sports bar in Aurora.
Just before 2 a.m. on August 14, 2022, police were dispatched to a shooting call at a bar located in the 12100 block of E. Iliff Avenue.
The investigation revealed a few minutes prior to the shooting, a verbal dispute occurred inside the bar between Griffin and a group of three patrons. As the patrons were leaving the bar in a car together, Griffin fired 9 shots at the car. One of the patrons was struck in the neck. The victim was taken to the hospital by his friends. He was declared brain dead and passed away on August 16, 2022. The other two patrons were unharmed.
The shooting was captured on surveillance video which helped police identify a white Jeep Grand Cherokee as the SUV the suspect was seen leaving in. Investigators were also able to retrieve surveillance from nearby street cameras which showed a picture of the suspect’s license plate. The plates came back registered to Henry Griffin III.
Following a 7-day jury trial, Griffin was found guilty of the following offenses:
First-Degree Murder- Extreme Indifference (Class 1 Felony)
Attempted First-Degree Murder- Extreme Indifference (Class 2 Felony)
*2 counts
“It’s reprehensible that this defendant chose to end a petty verbal dispute with a gun,” Chief Deputy DA Brian Sugioka said. “As a group of patrons were attempting to leave and get away from the defendant, he cowardly started shooting multiple rounds off in a parking lot with other cars and patrons. It’s a miracle he didn’t injure or kill more people with his reckless actions.”
Under Colorado law, a First-Degree Murder conviction carries a life sentence in prison, with no possibility of parole.
