The Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region (ADL) and its community partners, including the Regional Safety & Security Initiative of JEWISHcolorado, Rose Community Foundation, and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Colorado join together in extending gratitude to the Denver Police Department (DPD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and law enforcement agencies metro-wide in their swift action to pursue justice in tragic killing of 18-year-old Shmuel (Shmuli) Silverberg z”l on August 17.
Local media are reporting that the fifth suspect was booked into the Denver County Jail overnight. He was wanted in connection with a crime spree last week that included Silverberg’s death. Said JEWISHcolorado’s Regional Security Advisor Phil Niedringhaus, “The caring diligence of the Denver Police Department and their collaboration with law enforcement partners brought swift closure to this search for suspects.”
Samuel Robert Fussell was wanted by police on charges of burglary, first-degree burglary, felony menacing, first-degree auto theft, first-degree assault, and first-degree murder. Already in custody were Isaiah Freeman, 18; Seth Larhode, 21; Aden Sides, 18; and Noah Loepp-Hall, 19.
Police say the original arrests came after investigators, members of the Crime Lab, the Denver District Attorney’s Office, and local and federal partners worked tirelessly to identify and arrest the suspects.
JEWISHcolorado’s Regional Safety & Security Initiative was created in the aftermath of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018. Locally, it is made possible through a partnership with Rose Community Foundation and SCN, with support from the ADL and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation.
The Initiative leverages the community’s collective resources to develop best practices for emergency communication, security awareness and training, and disaster response. JEWISHcolorado Regional Security Advisor Phil Niedringhaus works directly with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners across the state to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish community.
Scott Levin, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, stated, “While police do not currently believe Mr. Silverberg was targeted because of his Jewish identity, this horrific shooting shattered a sense of safety and security in the Denver Jewish community and Jewish communities across the country. We appreciate the commitment of law enforcement to continue to investigate the matter and to add hate crimes charges if they are later found to be warranted.”
“We continue to stand with the Yeshiva Toras Chaim community as they grieve the heart-rending loss of a student, and with our greater community to provide support and together, foster a culture of empowerment, collaboration, and vigilance, ensuring that all Jewish organizations operate safely and securely,” said Rabbi Jay Strear.
If you are the victim of any kind of antisemitic harassment, please call 911 immediately and report it to the police. Report antisemitic or hate incidents to ADL online at www.adl.org/reportincident and to Phil Niedringhaus, Regional Security Advisor (RSA) at pniedringhaus@securecommunitynetwork.org.