The Denver Police Department arrested 24-year-old Elijah Caudill in connection with a series of violent stabbings that left two people dead and others seriously injured along the 16th Street Mall corridor in downtown Denver over the weekend. Caudill appeared before a judge on Monday morning and pleaded guilty.

DPD released the following timeline of events:

January 11, 2025:

5:12  pm - A man was injured at the intersection of 16th Street and Tremont Street. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital. His identity has not been released.

5:17 pm  At the intersection of 16th St. and California St., a woman was critically stabbed and later pronounced dead at the hospital. The victim, Celinda Levno, is a 71-year-old American Airlines flight attendant from Phoenix, Arizona. She worked with airlines for over three decades and was in Denver on a layover.

5:54 pm - At 16th St. and Lawrence St., another man was stabbed and rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. He is expected to survive, but his identity has not been released.

January 12, 2025:

8:06 pm - At 16th St. and Wynkoop St. (initially reported as 16th/Market), a fourth victim, another male, was fatally stabbed. He was transported to the hospital but did not survive. The victim was identified as 34-year-old Nicholas Burkett.

Prior to discovering the fourth death, police were actively searching the 16th Street area for the suspect. Officers observed a man fitting the description running with a knife, which led to a foot pursuit, and the suspect was eventually apprehended. Moments later, the fourth victim was found and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The motive behind the stabbings is still unclear, and there is no known connection between the victims and Caudill, who is currently under investigation for the following charges:

- First Degree Murder of an at-risk elder

- First Degree Murder

- Two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder

The Denver District Attorney’s Office will determine the formal charges.

According to the DPD, security at the 16th Street Mall and nearby areas is increasing due to recent violence.

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