Thomas Winz / Getty Images The Denver Police Department announced on August 19 that they have arrested four individuals who were allegedly involved in the August 17 shooting of Yeshiva student Shmuel Silverberg, 18.
According to a press release from the department, the four individuals have been identified as Aden Sides, 18, Isaiah Freeman, 18, Noah Lepp-Hall, 19, and Seth Larhode, 21. They all faces charges of first-degree murder, assault, auto theft, burglary and menacing. Department Major Crimes Division Commander Matt Clark said in a press briefing that the police are still searching for one other individual, Samuel Fussell, 19, who is also allegedly connected to the shooting.
The police believe that Silverberg was targeted at random as part of a larger crime spree that night, which included carjackings and another shooting; that victim remains in critical condition. Clark also pointed out in the briefing that statements from the suspects haven’t mentioned anything about Silverberg’s religion; consequently, the police do not think that Silverberg was targeted as part of a hate crime at this time. However, Chief of Police Paul M. Pazen did acknowledge during the press briefing that “we don’t know the exact motivation other than senseless violence through multiple locations in our city and in the metro area.”
Silverberg, originally from a Cleveland suburb, was shot in front of his dormitory at Yeshiva Toras Chaim, a Talmudic seminary school. Pazen said that Silverberg’s murder “sent shockwaves throughout the Orthodox Jewish community, not only here in Denver and the state of Colorado, but the United States and the world. We again share our condolences with the Silverberg family and the school.”
RELEASE: Crime Spree Suspects Arrested #Denver pic.twitter.com/AsHbnKvbsN
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) August 19, 2021
Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Regional Director Scott Levin said in a statement, “We commend the Denver Police Department and local law enforcement authorities for their swift action in identifying and arresting suspects in this horrible killing. While police do not believe the victim was targeted because of his Jewish identity, the shooting has certainly shattered a sense of peace and calm in the community. We continue to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Shmuel Silverberg and extend our support to the entire Yeshiva Toras Chaim community.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “Grateful for @DenverPolice fast work at apprehending suspects. Still unanswered is if these individuals are associated with any extremist group or ideology.”
Grateful for @DenverPolice fast work at apprehending suspects. Still unanswered is if these individuals are associated with any extremist group or ideology https://t.co/iawvWS1TJr
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) August 19, 2021
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