AURORA | Local anti-teen violence activists lamented that a teenage girl was fatally shot and two others injured when gunfire broke out Saturday night during a party at an open-space park in central Aurora, according to police.
On Monday, Arapahoe County coroner officials identified the slain girl as 14-year-old Kamiaya Keyera Cleveland.
Three local Black community leaders on a live social-media broadcast Monday talk about Cleveland’s death, and societal problems that led to the shooting.
Jason McBride, speaking on the Brother Jeff live Facebook show, said the lives that young teens live now are worlds apart from that of people who were teens in the 1980s.
McBride is a prominent metro violence intervention specialist and has worked with teens in community for several years at the Struggle of Love Foundation.
“I was at home playing Atari,” McBride said about being a teen years ago.
“Now, I’m at a party at a park a night with no lights,” he said, referring to the Saturday shooting in an a remote Aurora park.
McBride said parents and the community need to intervene in the lives of children across the region to address youth who are increasingly desensitized to violence and death.
Police were called at about 9:15 p.m. Saturday to the area of Highland Hollows Park, a green-belt park area in the 1400 block of South Uravan Street, southwest of Buckley Space Force Base.
“The investigation to date has determined numerous minors attended a party at a park” in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood, police said in a social media post. “There was a fight followed by shots fired.”
The injured girls, two age 14 and one age 15, were rushed to local hospitals. Cleveland died there from her shooting injuries, police said.
“No arrests have been made,” police said.
An initial investigation has prompted police to say the shooting was “an isolated incident and there is no threat to the general public.”
Police are asking for the public’s help in the investigation.
“Homicide detectives are interested in speaking with anyone who might have video of the party and the shooting,” police said.
Police said anyone with information can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000, police said.
Jeff Fard on his Brother Jeff Show said a balloon release has been slated in Cleveland’s memory for 4:30 p.m. July 11 at 8801 E. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. at the Central Park pavillion.
If you are such a coward that you would shoot a girl, you should off yourself.
Hope the murderer is found.
But how many other cowards athe party will not reporthe coward with a gun?
I appreciate your use of the word coward. Shooting unarmed people of any gender is a sign of a cowardly and stupid person.
Doesn’t the murderer know the gun he was using was illegal? He could go to jail for that.
lmao. maybe we need another law for that
They are usually shooting at each other and they don’t care who else they hit
Also know what your kids are up to
I would like to see the Sentinel have a tab with the running total of those shot and those killed in Aurora this year, and each year. That may be instructive. It might focus Council’s attention.
there is one in Neighborhood Watch on Facebook….
What a terrible tragedy. I hope these shooters are put away for decades.
How does society : ‘force’ parents and the community need to intervene in the lives of children across the region to address youth who are increasingly desensitized to violence and death.