Aurora police ask public to help crack case of boy, 13, shot at mall parking lot

AURORA | Joined by the family of slain teenager Phoenix Day, Aurora police on Friday asked for the public’s help identifying the person or people who fatally shot Day in a Dillard’s parking lot three and a half months ago.

Day was killed March 25 after he was involved in what police described as an argument between two groups of teenagers near the food court at the Town Center at Aurora Mall. The shooting happened in the parking lot of the mall as police were on their way to respond to the argument.

An officer working at a nearby movie theater found Day suffering from two gunshot wounds and performed CPR on Day until he was taken via ambulance to Children’s Hospital Colorado. He died later that night from his injuries.

On Friday, Day’s mother described her son as resilient and eager to make friends in Colorado, where he had recently moved to be with his mom.

“He was so excited to finally be home with mom. He was my best friend,” Tabatha Denney said. “Phoenix had a lot of challenges in his life, but that never stopped him. One of his biggest challenges was making friends and trying to fit in. He was always just trying to fit in and didn’t know how.”

She said Day had been working with a mentor for at-risk youth prior to the shooting. Police spokesperson Sydney Edwards said the department is not treating the incident as a gang-related shooting. She said police haven’t been able to characterize the groups as “gang-affiliated.”

“A lot of these are young kids that maybe think they’re being cool, maybe think that they’re doing something that other people will find interesting,” she said.

Agent Nicholas Lesnansky said police had reviewed more than 100 hours of surveillance camera footage in addition to cellphone records and social media posts. He said investigators have also interviewed people involved in the altercation that led to Day’s death as well as bystanders.

While police executed a search warrant at the home of a person of interest, Lesnansky said officers have yet to identify a shooter. He said investigators believe there is one or at least one shooter and that multiple callers had described the person as a teenage Black male.

“We know there are numerous potential witnesses who may have information about the homicide who have not been identified or spoken to by detectives,” he said.

Lesnansky also said several shell casings had been recovered from the scene and were being forensically tested.

Day’s mother and police asked for the public to help the slain teen’s family find closure by sharing any information they might have with investigators. Members of the public can remain anonymous and receive a reward of up to $4,000 for helping police solve Day’s killing.

“Please, if you saw Phoenix that day at the mall or you know anything about what happened to him or who did this, no details are too small,” Denney said.

“Nothing is going to bring my son back, but it will help to know that another family doesn’t have to go through what we have. No mother should feel the way that I have felt the last three months.”

Anyone with a tip can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Police also released photographs depicting as-of-yet-unidentified individuals who were present at the scene.

Mark Hildebrand, chief of the department’s investigations division, put the shooting in the context of the broader crisis of violence and shootings among Aurora’s youth, encouraging the public to take a “stand against violence.”

“The first step forward is the public partnering with law enforcement to help us resolve these kinds of cases,” he said. “Please, let this family have some peace, and let us get the answers we need to bring closure in this case.”