Victim's loved one reacts to murder conviction of Denver anti-violence activist in park shooting

It's been nearly a year and a half since a man attending his own son's birthday northeast of Denver was gunned down by a former anti-gun violence activist, in what the victim's family calls a senseless act of violence.

Malcolm Watson, a father, brother, and supportive partner, was only 28 when he was killed.

"It was very shocking. I was very clueless to what happened at the time," said Watson's girlfriend.

Watson's girlfriend asked CBS News Colorado not to use her full name for safety reasons.

"He was a very adventurous guy. Funny," she said. "He was present at any time that he could be."

On Aug. 12, 2024, Watson's girlfriend dropped Watson off at his son's birthday party at Pioneer Park in Commerce City, not knowing she'd never get the chance to pick him up.

"(I'm) just very disappointed that my spouse had to be a target in gun violence," she said.

At the time, the family told CBS Colorado that they were shocked to learn anti-gun violence activist Lumumba Sayers Sr. was behind the shooting. An arrest affidavit in the shooting described the violence as a possible form of retaliation for Sayer's own son's death, Lumumba Sayers Jr.

However, Watson only knew the suspect who was later arrested for that crime. The Watson family says it didn't make sense why he would be the one targeted.

"When his son, Lumumba Jr., had passed, Malcolm was nowhere near that location that day at all," Watson's girlfriend said.

Now, the Watson family is finally getting the justice they've been waiting for. On Monday, Lumumba Sayers Sr. was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges related to Watson's death.

"I didn't think it was going to make me feel better because, you know, I'm more focused on the loss of Malcolm than anything else going on right now," said Watson's girlfriend. "But, actually did make me feel very relieved."

She says Watson's death shows how deep the wounds of gun violence can go and how much it needs to stop.

"It's getting so frequent right now in Colorado," she said. "I hope things will get better for people, or you know, people will learn to stop acting on their emotions at the time of circumstances and stop deflecting on others."

Sayers is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24.