DENVER — A family's hope is waning after a year has passed with no answers as to who opened fire at a birthday party, killing their loved one.
On Oct. 9, 2021, 62-year-old Timothy Massangale was killed in a drive-by shooting off Quebec Street and East 22nd Avenue around 10 p.m. in Denver's South Park Hill neighborhood. Three other people were injured but survived.
"It's hard. I feel very lost," daughter Shauna Pugh said. "It's almost like I live in disbelief."
Massangale was leaving a distant relative's 50th birthday celebration when the shooting occurred, according to Pugh.
"He just thought he was going to a safe environment and he obviously was not," Pugh said. "My dad just happened to be walking outside his car and he was hit point blank and died immediately there."
Pugh said Denver police have relayed that her father was not the intended target.
"Which I knew, because my dad wouldn't have an enemy," she said.
Denver police have shared a single photo that shows the vehicle involved in the incident.
John Priest, a retired Denver police homicide lieutenant, said drive-by shootings are particularly tough to solve due to a lack of evidence or a lack of forthcoming witnesses.
"In my experience, these individuals certainly will talk to you, but they may not provide you with everything that they actually know," he said. "For example, they have great car description or maybe even a license plate or a partial license plate, but what they're not telling you is the fact that they know who the person is, and they know where that person lives."
"It could be that they're not telling you that because they're unsure. It could be they're not telling you that because that individual is a family member or a good friend or somebody they've known for a long time," Priest said. "There are lots of reasons why people just don't want to cooperate."
Pugh believes someone present at the party knows who her father's killer may be.
"There were so many people at that party that night," she said. "Someone has to know something. How can you carry that?"
Despite her agony for answers, Pugh said she remains focused on seeking accountability in her dad's case and keeping her dad's legacy alive.
"I said this at my dad's service, 'If the story ended the same and they said, you know, if you choose this as your dad, this is what's going to happen, I wouldn't change it,'" Pugh said through tears. "He was terrific. I'm so thankful that I had him in my life. I won't give up."
A $20,000 reward is available for information leading to an arrest in Massangale's case. If you have information about suspects or wish to remain anonymous, please call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
