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A former mixed martial arts fighter who founded an anti-violence nonprofit with a specific focus on gun crime was convicted of murder in the shooting death of another man in Colorado earlier this week.
A jury found Lumumba Sayers, 47, guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and attempt to commit tampering with physical violence, according to a release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Sayers will be sentenced on July 24. Sentencing guidelines in Colorado prescribe a 16-to-48-year prison sentence for second-degree murder.
Mugshot of Lumumba Sayers after his arrest in connection to the shooting death of Malcolm Johnson in August 2024. (Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office)
Prosecutors said Sayers left an anti-violence event Aug. 10, 2024, and drove to a children’s birthday party at a local water park, where he walked up to the victim, Malcolm Johnson, and shot him multiple times, Colorado Public Radio reported.
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Sayers admitted to having a weapon on him at the time of the murder, but that was not the weapon used to KILL Johnson, the Macomb Daily reported. Prosecutors said an untraceable 3-D printed gun, or “ghost gun,” was used in the shooting. It was never found.
They said it was handed off to another man, never to be seen again. There was no surveillance video of the murder.
The murder was carried out in revenge after Sayers’ son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., was gunned down in August 2023, prosecutors said. A man named Tyrell Braxton was charged in that case, but the case was eventually dismissed.
Lumumba Sayers has his hands taped backstage at the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas on Nov. 18, 2011. (Todd Lussier/Forza LLC)
Sayers reportedly believed Johnson was involved in his son’s murder. Prosecutors also said that Sayers attempted to plant the gun on Johnson after the killing. Sayers contended he was simply removing his gun and putting it down before police arrived on the scene.
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The now-convicted murderer ran Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts, a nonprofit that describes itself as a “non-profit organization dedicated to transforming lives through education, mentorship, and community.” It is heavily focused on physical training, and reportedly received state and federal grants for its “Glovez Up, Gunz Down Movement” program.
Lumumba Sayers makes weight during the Strikeforce weigh-in at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif., on Aug. 17, 2012. (Esther Lin/Forza LLC)
“At Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts, we foster a culture of accountability, both in and out of the gym,” the organization’s site says. “Through training, individuals learn discipline, respect, and self-control, promoting responsible behavior and healthy relationships.”
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Sayers competed in Strikeforce MMA in 2011 and 2012, where he fought against future UFC contenders, according to MMA Junkie. Strikeforce was acquired by a different company and eventually absorbed completely into UFC.
Sayers’ attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.