AURORA | Police say a suspect they arrested in a drive-by shooting last week at an Aurora gas station was on parole for repeated gun violations and a suspect in an attempted murder case at the time.
Aurora investigators say Mark Jackson, 18, of Aurora, was the gunman in a non-fatal shooting at about 10 p.m. at a Conoco gas station at 3202 Peoria St. An unidentified teenage boy was shot and seriously injured during the shooting.
Investigators said they believe the shooting was random.
Police said Jackson “has an extensive violent criminal history with the Aurora Police Department and is currently on parole for a prior weapons conviction,” according to a statement. “He also is the defendant in an active attempted murder case stemming from a carjacking that occurred in October 2024, just hours before his 18th birthday.”
Jackson’s past arrest and parole history prompted a scathing response from the city’s police chief.
“Mark Jackson is a prime example of Colorado’s flawed criminal justice system, particularly with respect to the state’s juvenile offenders,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a statement. “There is no accountability for criminal actions. There is no justice for victims. There is no meaningful rehabilitation.”
The wounded boy and his five friends told police they were filming a music video outside the video when someone inside a white SUV drove by and opened fire.
“The victims noted the shots sounded like automatic gunfire,” Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement.
Investigators said they were able to glean details about the car used in the shooting, determining it was a white Suburban, and police tracked it on Tuesday to a location near East Quincy Avenue and South Parker Road.
Police said they recovered two firearms from the scene of the arrest, including a semi-automatic 9mm handgun with a devise that converts it to a fully automatic gun. 
Police said they recovered two firearms from the scene of the arrest, including a semi-automatic 9mm handgun with a devise that converts it to a fully automatic gun.
“Aurora police officers attempted to pull over the Suburban, but Jackson sped away from police,” Moylan said. “Officers did not engage in a pursuit, but continued to monitor the vehicle’s movements until Jackson and a female passenger abandoned the SUV in a neighborhood near East Mississippi Avenue and South Sable Boulevard.”
There, police approached Jackson and a girl in the SUV, which ended in a foot chase.
“Officers were forced to deploy a Taser to apprehend Jackson,” Moylan said. “The female passenger was taken into custody without incident.”
Police said they recovered two firearms from the scene of the arrest, including a semi-automatic 9mm handgun with a device that converts it to a fully automatic gun.
“Investigators believe the converted automatic firearm was the gun used in Friday’s shooting,” Moylan said. Officers said they confiscated a .40-caliber handgun from the girl.
Aurora’s patrol division Chief Kevin Barnes lauded police work and cooperation between Aurora and Denver police in the investigation.
“I commend everyone involved for their commitment and dedication to community safety and thank the Denver Police Department for providing vital air support for this investigation,” Barnes said.
Jackson is being held currently at the Aurora Detention Center in lieu of $250,000 bond and faces charges of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, holding an illegal weapon, eluding police and unspecified charges linked to the shooting.
The girl faces charges of illegally possessing a firearm and obstructing police. Investigators said she was wanted on a warrant for failing to appear on a prior, unspecified criminal charge out of Aurora.
Jackson is on parole from a two-year sentence stemming from a 2023 Aurora case linked to illegal possession of a firearm.
“In the last six months, Jackson has been arrested twice for possession of a converted automatic handgun,” Moylan said. “He was on parole during both arrests.”
Last October, Jackson was charged in an Arapahoe County court with attempted first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, police said.
“Jackson posted $80,000 bond in that case and was released from custody,” Moylan said. “He was free on bond at the time of last Friday’s nonfatal shooting.”
Chamberlain lambasted court officials for allowing Jackson free.
“The public should be outraged that this violent, repeat offender has continued to navigate our criminal justice system without consequence and was allowed to continue to prowl our streets victimizing our community,” Chamberlain said.
What the Hell? This clown is on parole from a weapons charge, gets pulled over twice with the makings of an illegal weapon, and is out roaming around? You gotta be kidding me. Geez, we get our panties in a wad over migrant gangs, and here we have a citizen pain in the rear that’s busy creating a criminal resume. This butthead needs a dose of serious jail time. He’s out and playing the system – enough. The chief has every right to be aghast! The state can do so much better!
Can we all agree yet that the Colorado criminal justice system continues to fail?
Can we at least revoke parole upon a second felony arrest FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?
How about 10 years minimum for the first gun crime and life for the second for any person over the age 9. We’re fools for allowing teens to be treated as if they were children when they attempt murder with a gun.
Any adult who willfully enables a child’s gun crime should get a mandatory life sentence. When was the last time an enabling adult was charged in Colorado?
Eliminate parole for 100% of violent gun crimes.
Eliminate bail for 100% of violent gun crimes.
Shorten prosecutions. It’s not a root cause but it certainly contributed here and elsewhere. Arrest to trial in 60 days max. This would also cut costs.
Any elected official who disagrees with any of the above is free to step down. You’re killing your innocent constituents through your cowardice to take the protective action required to protect the LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE.
This is your official legacy, Governor Polis. This kid’s the poster child for your failures.
I just wish the Chief would speak out about SB217 and the damage that it has done to law enforcement’s ability to do the job. I also wish the Chief would address the injustice that occurred within his own department when two Aurora officers were wrongfully prosecuted by basically illegally hiding a video that would have cleared them both. That video was never released to the public and not even shown to their own officers. The Chief and the Consent Decree Monitor have failed to do their jobs by actually examining an Internal Affairs complaint against the detective Ethan Snow and the Division Chief Chris Juul, who chaired a fraudulent Force Review that also did not look at the video.
Good grief, this punk was out on parole for gun charges and attempted murder and carjacking?!?
Thank you, Sentinel, for this report. Thank you, police, for catching this menace. Thank you, Chief Chamberlain, for speaking so directly: In Colorado there is no accountability for criminal actions.
If parents don’t teach kids how to act right and teachers can’t get kids to act right, and coaches/religious leaders/foster parents/ aunts/uncles/ grandparents all fail to get kids to act right then it is becomes the DUTY of the police and courts to intervene and STOP criminal behavior.