Aurora man, 35, accused of shooting homeless man faces attempted murder charges

AURORA | An Aurora man is accused of shooting a homeless man he stalked after accusing him of causing damage to trash cans in his central Aurora apartment complex.

Daniel Ryan Shea, 35, faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault with a deadly weapon in the case, according to court records.

Police were called to the Midas shop at 16708 E. Iliff Ave. at about 9:15 a.m. Sept. 9 after reports of a shooting there. 

Witnesses said they saw Shea and another man, later identified as a 35-year-old homeless man, arguing in the parking lot outside the muffler shop. At one point, the accused shooter, later identified as Shea, pulled out a gun and shot the other man in the abdomen, according to police accounts of witnesses.

“The shooter left the scene walking north,” police said in a previous statement. “Responding officers were unable to immediately locate the suspect.”

After talking with additional witnesses and reviewing outside video footage of the incident, police were able to identify the alleged gunman, as Shea, who lived across the street from the scene of the shooting in an apartment complex.

Police arrested Shea after a search for him in the area.

While being questioned, Shea spontaneously told police how the shooting unfolded.

“I’m just gonna say exactly what the f*** happened,” Shea told police, according to a district court arrest affidavit.

Shea said the homeless man had caused some kind of disturbance at the apartment complex in the days leading up to the shooting. 

“I live in that apartment complex,” Shea said. “One man, in particular – shirtless, gigantic ogre, tipping trash cans; costing 25 thousand dollars in damage. Right, that alone — I’m in my rights, protecting my property.”

Shea did not detail how or why the homeless man damaged property.

“I beat that mother****** up a few days ago for being an idiot,” Shea told police.

He told police that the homeless man had pulled out a gun, and that Shea “took that s*** out of his hand.”

Police and witness reports indicate Shea pulled the gun he’s accused of shooting the homeless man with from the back of his pants, and then firing at the man.

“Only thing I should be charged for is assault, because I beat the s*** out of the mother****** who ended up at the Midas,” Shea said, according to police. “I’m a ‘grateful dead wrecking crew’ and that’s what we do.”

The allusion is to 1960s recording studio musicians.

Prosecutors in the 18th Judicial District have charged Shea with first-degree attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

Shea is being held at the Arapahoe County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.