AURORA, Colo. — Police in Aurora are investigating a possible gang-related shooting that left one man dead and four other people wounded during a Juneteenth celebration early Sunday morning. The suspects remain at large.
It happened around 4 a.m. in a parking lot of a strip mall located at 12455 E. Mississippi Avenue.
People were gathered in the parking lot as part of a Juneteenth celebration after they were denied entry into an organized celebration inside a unit at the strip mall, according to Aurora police. It is currently unknown who organized the gathering, or the name of the establishment in the unit at the strip mall.
One man was pronounced deceased after the shooting. His name is not being released at this time. The Arapahoe County Coroner's Office will release his identity once his next of kin have been notified. Four others, three men and a woman, transported themselves to area hospitals. Their injuries range from minor to serious, but not life-threatening, according to police.
Tevis Abraham and her friends witnessed the shooting. She described it as chaos from every direction.
"We were out trying to celebrate Juneteenth, and I think it just got reckless," she said. "It's a tragedy, honestly. It doesn't sit right with me. I watched [the deceased victim] in his last moments, so it's pretty traumatic."
Police said there were multiple shooters and at least 114 shell casings were recovered. Dispatch received at least 50 911 calls for service reporting shots being fired. Aurora police said they are continuing to interview witnesses to determine accurate suspect descriptions, which will be shared publicly once known.
"This was no doubt a terrifying experience for everybody here, and it's one that we want to investigate swiftly and get to the bottom of quickly and, hopefully, get someone into custody," Aurora Police public information officer Crystal McCoy said.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
