Triple shooting survivor back in hospital

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Three families will never be the same after a triple shooting in Commerce City in early September. Two people were injured and one woman was killed in the incident. 

One of those survivors, 22-year-old Jacob Shull, was rushed back to the hospital last Wednesday and according to his family, that’s where he remains. 

“He’s my best friend,” Haley Shull, Jacob’s sister cried. “He’s a good person and he doesn’t deserve anything that came to him.” 

On Sept. 6, Commerce City Police responded to Oneida Street for reports of a triple shooting. According to the arrest affidavit, the shooting happened after a fight between Jacob Shull’s girlfriend, Jacqueline Esquibel, and another woman. According to the arrest affidavit, the person who shot the victims was with the woman Esquibel fought. 

“My attention, my worry was on him,” Esquibel recalled. “I wish it was me in that bed in there instead of him.” 

Esquibel was shot in the shoulder. She said Shull was shot multiple times and struggled to stay awake. 

“He was shot through his ribcage,” Shull’s sister, Haley Shull explained. “It went in and out of his lung, barely missed his heart, hit his spine paralyzed him instantly and lodged in the muscle.” 

Jacob Shull spent 30 days at a hospital recovering. Within hours of his release, his family said he suffered a seizure and went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to University Hospital. Shull said he was able to pull through and is alive.

Makayla Lawrence was the only person who died that night. Police said she was a bystander, an unintended target. Her father, Tim Lawrence, had to identify her through a matching tattoo. 

“So it says ‘Ohana’ for ‘family’ because she really loved Stitch,” he said as he pointed to the tattoo and recalled the family trip they took to get them.  “She got to meet Stitch that was like made her happier than any kid can be.” 

Lawrence was just 20 years old when she was killed. Her father described her as a loving and adventurous free-spirit. 

“She was always just full of joy and happy and wanted to be there for everybody,” he explained. “She had a lot of potential in her life. She could have done great things and unfortunately, she was robbed of any opportunity to succeed and do everything she wanted to do in life.” 

Esquibel is heartbroken over Lawrence’s death. While they were not close, she believed they would have been good friends had Lawrence survived.

“She was so sweet. She didn’t deserve that at all,” she said. “A part of me feels like it’s my fault you know because I fought the girl. If I would have just let her beat me up, maybe Jacob wouldn’t be paralyzed and she wouldn’t be gone you know.” 

Because of Shull’s paralysis diagnosis, the family has a load of medicals ahead of them. They have created a GoFundMe to offset some of the costs. 

One arrest has been made in the case. According to an arrest affidavit, authorities believe a man that was with the woman Esquibel fought, and shot them.  

Commerce City Police do not have any additional arrests at this time but they told 9NEWS the investigation is still open.