AURORA | Aurora police said Wednesday night they have arrested a second 15-year-old boy in connection to the Nov. 15 shooting that left six teenagers wounded in a park next to Aurora Central High School .
On Monday, police arrested a first boy, 15, connected to the shooting. Detectives believe that boy — a student at Aurora Central — was driving a Chrysler 300 during the shooting last week. Police made the arrest after identifying the owner of the car yesterday.
Police said Wednesday that they are now considering the case a “drive-by shooting.” Both boys face charges of attempted murder.
While police have not called the shooting gang-related, they said that the latest arrest was the culmination of work in part by the Aurora Police Gang Intervention Unit.
The boy arrested Wednesday was identified as an occupant inside an identified Chrysler 300, connected to the shooting. He, too, is a student at Central High School, police said.
His identify is not being released because of his age.
“Investigators are still attempting to identify the individuals who were inside of Nome Park shooting back at the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Chrysler 300,” police said Wednesday.
Two of the six teens who were shot sustained serious injuries. All of the wounded are expected to survive.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office will now prosecute the teens.
Investigators found and seized another vehicle believed to have been involved in the shooting, a Chevrolet Tahoe, last week, though the seizure of that vehicle has not resulted in any arrests so far.
“So very proud of my officers and detectives for the non-stop hard work they have put into identifying those responsible,” Police Chief Vanessa Wilson tweeted Tuesday. “This is just the beginning of arrests! If you were involved, we are coming for you…”
There were at least two other outstanding suspects being sought in connection with the Central shooting, police announced Tuesday.
Investigators now believe that at least two people who were at Nome Park during the melee returned fire at people shooting from the cars, as evidenced by bullet holes found in the vehicles, according to Agent Matt Longshore, spokesperson for Aurora police.
“We are urging anyone that has information about not only the shooters occupying the two identified vehicles, but those in the park as well, to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers,” Longshore wrote in a news release.
Informants who call the Denver branch of Crimestoppers U.S.A. can remain anonymous by calling 720-913-7867. The reward for information related to the shooting now totals $7,000.
The shooting precipitated a week of violence in the city that culminated with yet another school-related shooting Nov. 19 in the parking lot of Hinkley High School. Three teens were shot and wounded after a car sped through the school’s parking lot following a reported dispute during the lunch hour, police said.
Authorities have since arrested 16-year-old boys in connection with that attack. Police have recommended charging the trio with attempted first-degree murder.
The nearly back-to-back incidents in Aurora last week elicited outcry from across the region, and Wilson begged parents to monitor the whereabouts and activities of their children in an effort to prevent them from obtaining firearms.
WHAT-CHA GUNNA DO …
The lesson here is and has been obvious to most everyone, although the previous city council avoided the “G” word. But gee-whiz – why should a politically correct city council want to tackle gang issues. It’d simple, these gangs when we really get in the weeds, will produce an ethnic connection. And oh-no… a real face to face look at these imbedded gangs, including the paths with certain traditional lifestyles. These PC leaders we have had, just can’t, and continually refused to accept the raw truth. But, Aurora voters have had enough, enough of the general pass the buck… hope-it-will-go-away attitude from City Hall. In our rising concrete problem around these homegrown gangs capitalizing on a do-nothing city, these new city leaders will have an opportunity to start fixing and correct the past misgivings of an ineffective council.
Good job APD!!!!
now for the bad. a 15 and 16 year old. Maybe, just maybe locked up til they are 21? and then what ? Where did they get the guns? Why did they think they needed to go shooting. Oh, a 15 year old driving the Chrysler?? See the issues? Now, solutions? First answer those questions and the parents need to be interogated as well. Think these ‘kids’ are ANGRY? Think these kids believe that people ‘disrespect’ them? yeah….anybody with legitimate solutions out there? I don’t think anything as worked before….even BOOT camps, SCARED STRAIGHT, what else??? we dropped the ball I think.
Sup
Where did the teens get the guns