Jan 3, 2007 8:23 pm US/Mountain
Club Bouncer Recalls Last Time He Saw Williams
by Shaun Boyd
DENVER (CBS4) ―
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Kou Marquardt stands outside the Shelter club where Darrent Williams was moments before he was killed.
CBS
A bouncer at the nightclub where Darrent Williams spent his final hours said gang rivalry likely sparked the shooting early New Year's Day.
Kou Marquardt escorted Williams and his friends into the Shelter club at 10th and Broadway where they were celebrating at a birthday party for Denver Nuggets player Kenyon Martin.
"That night was magical," Marquardt said. "A lot of handshakes, a lot of hugs."
Even though there were about 1,500 people at the club that night, Marquardt said Williams was the life of the party.
"Out of everybody in there (Williams) was the most fluid," Marquardt said. "He pretty much set the tempo for everyone else in the group of ball players that were there."
Marquardt said Williams spent his final hours laughing, dancing and hanging out with friends.
"Normally when you're VIP, you stay within that area but he was just about the club and talked to people," he added. "He was hanging in the DJ booth. He was just living in the moment."
He was sure that Williams wasn't the target of the shooting but believed a member of his group was. Marquardt said that person was an apparent gang member who started talking gang turf and flashing gang symbols outside the club.
He had a bad feeling and tried to clear the club fast. Marquardt said he was looking for a taxi for Bronco Javon Walker when he saw Williams outside his limo.
"'Darrent' I said 'do me a favor. Javon wants to take a taxi, do you got room in this bad boy,'" Marquardt said. "He was like, 'yeah, tell him come on lets go.' So as I started to walk back in the club to tell Javon there was something that was said that caught my ear. I immediately turned around and said 'cut the games man, we're family, we're not going there.'"
Marquardt didn't hear about the shooting until hours later.
"Whoever did that, don't let them hunt you down like a dog ... turn yourself in, be accountable," Marquardt said.
With justice, he hopes there will be peace which is something he said Williams had that last night.
"He went from one party to the next party where he's at now," Marquardt said. "What a beautiful spirit."
The Shelter nightclub has been closed since the shooting. It will reopen for the first time Wednesday night.
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