Aurora police chief says murder warrant issued for 1 of 5 suspects in Southlands shooting

AURORA | Aurora Police Department’s interim chief Art Acevedo announced Monday that officers believe multiple shooters were involved in the Sept. 30 incident outside of the Southlands shopping mall which left a 15-year-old dead.

Raphael Velin was killed during a meeting with other juveniles and young adults to transact “business,” which Acevedo hinted was unlawful, though he refused to elaborate when asked follow-up questions.

Acevedo said police have identified five suspects in the shooting and obtained a first-degree-murder warrant for one person, whose name was not released.

“We fully anticipate arresting this individual in the upcoming days,” Acevedo said, though he also said the person is not believed to be in the area. “We are confident that we will actually bring justice to this family.”

He also warned members of the wanted person’s family that they could be criminally charged if they sheltered them despite knowing their status as a fugitive.

While Acevedo said the scope of youth violence is currently “the worst that I’ve seen,” he also called attention to overall declines in most categories of violent crime compared to the same point in time last year.

According to statistics published earlier this month, as of Oct. 1, the city had seen a 12.5% reduction in the number of aggravated assaults, a 35.6% decline in robberies and one fewer murder since 2022. National and statewide numbers are not available for the same time period.

Denver police Chief Ron Thomas reported in September that Denver crime rates have also been trending downward over the last year, according to a Sept. 21 report by Axios. 

Acevedo said Aurora’s outreach and proactive policing efforts — including the department’s Direct Action Response Teams, Gang Intervention Unit, Police Area Representatives and School Resource Officers — have helped the department get ahead of crime and also beat national averages for solving cases.

In 2022, Aurora cleared about 85% of all homicides compared to a national average of 50%, according to Acevedo. He said the department’s year-to-date clearance rate is closer to 67% but that they expect to clear more cases before the end of the year.

“If you commit a homicide in our city, you’re much more likely to be apprehended, and charged, and held accountable than you are in a lot of other places across the country,” Acevedo said.

Councilmember Francoise Bergan, whose ward includes Southlands, also spoke during Monday’s news conference to express her faith in the police department and assure residents that they are safe in their community.

“Although this was not a random shooting, and they should not fear going out and about with their business, we do hear them, and we understand their concerns,” she said.

Acevedo also said the department is planning on conducting patrols near local houses of worship and may send uniformed and plainclothes officers to vigils and other events being held in response to the Oct. 7 invasion of Israel by Palestinian militants and Hamas.

He said the department has not been made aware of any local threats sparked by the conflict overseas and that no local congregations have asked for an increased police presence but called directed patrols “the “prudent thing to do.” He also said the police department would respect the public’s right to peacefully demonstrate.

As of press time, no Aurora protests had been reported.

“But we will not tolerate violence,” he said. “We will be monitoring our region for any threats, and any threat will be taken very seriously and will be dealt with aggressively and within the confines of the law. … My heart goes out to all of the victims of this violence that’s going on in the Middle East right now.”