Between 8 p.m. Friday and 2:30 a.m. Sunday, five people died from gunshot wounds in the Denver metro area. Four others were wounded by bullets, and one was hospitalized after she was stabbed.

In the midst of that violence, a group dedicated to promoting a healthy and safe summer for Denver’s residents by fighting gang violence by connecting young people with positive activities held a Saturday barbecue. The eighth annual Safe Summer Kickoff barbecue, put on by the Southwest Denver Coalition, the Department of Public Safety’s Gang Reduction initiative and Denver Public Safety Youth Programs, drew representatives from 50 private and public community groups. The organizations provided information on youth services, financial security options, community policing, health and wellness options, voting services and upcoming neighborhood social activities.

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June 5, 2016 Woman shot, another stabbed, in separate incidents Sunday in Denver This weekend’s spate of violence came as the promise of a warm summer brought temperatures in the 80s, after weeks of cool and wet weather.

It was a rough start to the summer season, but not an indication that violence will soar in the hot days ahead, said Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman.

“We can’t predict how the summer is going to play out. Last summer we had some issues early, and we were able to get our arms around them. The incidents in the last 48 hours are unfortunate, but they all appear to be isolated,” he said.

In 2015, 10 people died in gang-related violence in March and April and put the city on track to record its most violent year since 2010. Two had been killed during the same period in 2014, according to police department statistics provided to The Denver Post. Three of the deaths occurred in a 24-hour span in March. Denver hit a 9-year high for homicides with 50 people killed in 2015.

During Denver’s 1993 “summer of violence,” 74 people were killed. Some of the deaths were from stray bullets, others were intentional murders and there was a randomness to the violence that increased fear because gang members killed people who weren’t involved in gangs.

Special Report: Homicides in Denver hit 9-year high with 50 people killed in 2015

This weekend’s incidents include:

8:13 p.m. Friday — The bloodshed began in an incident that police describe as a drug deal gone bad. Police responded to the 3600 block of Hudson Street in northeast Denver on a report of shooting. They found two people dead, two others wounded. Before the night was over, one of the wounded died after being taken to a hospital by a private party. Police are still seeking a 2015, or newer, maroon Chevy Tahoe with temporary tags that may be traveling out of state.

9:45 p.m. Friday — Aurora police responded to the Nordic Arms apartments at 1575 Galena St. after a report of shots fired and found 10-year-old Anthony Jaliel Lujan Hemmings with a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating, but family members said they believe the boy accidentally shot himself after finding the gun, wrapped in cloth and sitting on a shelf.

1:58 a.m. Saturday — Adams County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Players Club, a strip club at 6710 Federal Blvd., and found a man who had been shot. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Authorities believe the person responsible for that shooting was an employee.

2:35 p.m. Saturday — At least one person was shot and wounded near a Conoco gas station at East Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Denver7 reported the shooting followed a confrontation over a bicycle at a busy bus stop. Denver police spokesman Tyrone Campbell said he couldn’t confirm that a bike was involved. The wounded man is hospitalized in critical condition.

3:07 p.m. Saturday — A gunshot victim walked into St. Joseph Hospital, 1375 E. 19th Ave. Police are unsure whether the injury is related to the Colfax Avenue shooting, Campbell said, but the hospital is less than 2 miles from the gas station.

2 a.m. Sunday — Shots fired in the Montbello neighborhood near 50th Avenue and Chambers Road. Denver police found a woman with a gunshot wound to the arm, Campbell said.

2:30 a.m. Sunday — Police responded to the 4500 block of High Street and found a woman who had been stabbed. Police took another woman into custody, Campbell said.

“It has been a rough weekend,” said the Rev. Leon Kelly, an anti-gang activist for 32 years who is the executive director of Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives.

He suspects at least some of the weekend’s violence was connected to gang activity.

Cities and community organizations throughout the metro area have been working to tamp down violence, he said. “But there is only so much you can do.”

Gang Reduction Initiative Denver, or GRID, the city’s comprehensive anti-gang program, was awarded a $169,500 grant last June to establish a team called Part of the Solution.

The team works to defuse tension, prevent retaliation and steer young gang members toward programs that can help them change.

“We have been proactive this year and that has helped,” Kelly said. “I think if we stay vigilant and continue to do some of the things we have been doing, we can at least compete” with the lure gangs pose to young people.

Among other things, GRID works to develop and support a variety of criminal justice and community partnerships, and support federal investigations of high-level gang activity.

Kelly was in Aurora on Saturday to comfort the family of the 10-year-old boy who died.

“I can deal with these older guys being killed,” Kelly said. “But when you have babies, that puts a sour taste in your mouth.”

Having people out on the street where they can watch what is going on in their neighborhoods is one of the best safeguards against crime, said Denver City Councilman Paul Lopez. He doesn’t want to let this weekend define the summer.

“We should be expecting a peaceful summer,” Lopez said. “If you are waiting for a violent summer, that is what you will get. It is kind of a doomsday mentality.”