Two masked robbers who shot three college students from out of state early Sunday at a downtown light-rail station may have committed a string of other recent holdups, police said.

In the latest case, the men shot their victims even after the men had given them their money.

The three students, who are expected to survive, were waiting for a light-rail train at 25th and Welton streets at about 5 a.m. when they were shot, said Denver police spokeswoman Virginia Quiñones.

She said they had attended at a concert nearby at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, 2637 Welton St.

The suspects fled on foot after shooting one victim in the neck, another in the chest and a third in the back.

The students were transported to Denver Health Medical Center. Their ages, conditions, names and hometowns were not released by police Sunday.

Witnesses told police that the trio complied with robbers' demands for their wallets and money.

"This is extremely serious because of the brazen act," Quiñones said.

Quiñones said it was "disturbing" that the students were shot even after they complied with the robbers' demands.

"Usually, when you shoot at someone, you don't shoot to injure. You shoot to kill," she said.

Sonny Jackson, a Denver police spokesman, said in a news release that the two men may be connected to three other early- morning robberies where they "confront the victims on the street or at a bus stop or train station."

Sunday's shooting was the only one that happened at a bus or light-rail station, said RTD spokesman Scott Reed. Still, Reed said, RTD will increase its security patrols.

Five hours after Sunday's shooting, Anthony Withers, 49, was waiting for a train at that same stop. The Denver native said he's watched that part of the historic Five Points neighborhood change for the worse.

He said he wasn't surprised by the shooting.

"Gunshots happen when there is nothing to do and plenty of time to do it in," he said.

The two suspects are described as black men wearing ski masks or blue bandannas. One is between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-4, about 180 to 190 pounds, and possibly has a pockmarked face. The other is between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10, about 180 pounds with short black hair.

The first and second robberies happened about 5:10 and 5:20 a.m. Friday, at 541 E. 14th Ave. and 1402 Pearl St., respectively. The third robbery happened about 1:55 a.m. Saturday at 1085 Colorado Blvd.

In the 14th Avenue case, the robbers shot a victim from a blue Honda with tinted windows, police said. No report on the condition of that victim was available Sunday.

"In each of these cases, the victims either were shot at or shot," Quiñones said.

Anyone with information can report tips confidentially through Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).

morenoi@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2895