Fact Check: Did a mass shooting take place in Denver during celebration of Nuggets' championship near Ball Arena? 

The Denver Nuggets' championship celebration took a surprising turn while fans rejoiced outside Ball Arena. According to reports, although the celebration started in a positive light, several incidents began to break out that required police.

In anticipation, the local police department had brought in extra officers to assist with the large crowd. Unfortunately, according to police investigators, however, after a fight broke out near 20th and Market around 12:30, nine people were injured in a shooting.

Denver police spokesman Douglas Schepman, who spoke to The Denver Post, stated that the officers were able to take the shooter into custody. As Schepman stated:

"[We] had staffed up significantly. We had a lot of officers in that immediate area of 20th and Market when the shooting occurred, which is why the response to it was so quick. We had a plan to manage the flow of traffic from the Ball Arena out to the highway and down Speer Boulevard.”

According to the latest update, three of the victims were in critical condition as of Tuesday morning. In addition, the shooter, who was injured, had minor injuries considered not life-threatening.

The situation marked the most noteworthy mass shooting in the United States over the past 72 hours, where such incidents have become more common. During that period, Gun Violence Archive lists three other mass shooting that resulted in five or more injuries to victims.

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How the shooting could impact the Denver Nuggets' parade on Thursday

Although the shooting isn't expected to postpone or cancel the upcoming parade for the Nuggets, it will likely impact how things are organized and handled. Given that a strong police presence during the celebrations weren't enough to prevent the incident, it's expected that things will be even more closely monitored.

Of course, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will be eager to get things over with so he can head back home to Serbia. After the win, Jokic famously stated during an interview immediately following the final buzzer that the job was done, and now he can go home.

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At the post-game press conference, he spoke to media members, where he learned that the team's victory parade will take place on Thursday. Immediately, he seemed somewhat frustrated, explaining that he had an event on Sunday he wanted to be back home for.

As the post-game panel pointed out, Denver Nuggets owner Stanley Kroenke would likely allow Jokic to use the team plane to make sure he gets back home in time.