Earlier this week, a former mixed martial arts fighter who established a nonprofit aimed at curbing gun violence was convicted of murder in Colorado. This conviction is for the shooting death of another individual.
The jury found 47-year-old Lumumba Sayers guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempting to tamper with physical violence, according to a statement from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Sayers is set to be sentenced on July 24. In Colorado, second-degree murder carries a sentencing range of 16 to 48 years in prison.
A mugshot of Lumumba Sayers was released following his arrest in connection with the August 2024 shooting death of Malcolm Johnson. (Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office)
According to prosecutors, Sayers had attended an anti-violence event on August 10, 2024. Afterward, he drove to a children’s birthday party at a local water park, where he approached and shot the victim, Malcolm Johnson, multiple times, as reported by Colorado Public Radio.
Sayers confessed to carrying a weapon at the time of the incident but claimed it was not the firearm used to kill Johnson, according to the Macomb Daily. Prosecutors argued that a “ghost gun,” an untraceable 3-D printed firearm, was used in the shooting. This weapon was never recovered.
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.
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.”
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.
