AURORA, Colo. — Police in Aurora have arrested a 14-year-old boy from Colorado Springs in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old girl that occurred near an Aurora park over the weekend.
The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, was arrested late Wednesday afternoon several charges, including first-degree homicide, 10 counts of attempted first-degree homicide and two counts of possession of a handgun by a juvenile, according to a news release from the Aurora Police Department.
The boy was in custody in El Paso County Jail as of Thursday morning, police said, but he’ll eventually be transferred to Arapahoe County Jail where he’ll face charges in Arapahoe Juvenile Court.
During the course of the investigation, which began after police received reports of a triple shooting near Hoffman Park early Sunday morning, authorities learned the boy had an active arrest warrant for motor vehicle theft, for which he was arrested on Wednesday morning.
A subsequent search of the boy’s home in Colorado Springs resulted in the discovery of two firearms, a 9mm and a .380-caliber handgun. Those guns were sent to the Aurora Police Department for ballistics testing in their homicide investigation.
Crime
15-year-old girl killed, 2 wounded in Aurora triple shooting near Hoffman Park
“The swift arrest of the suspect in this case serves as an excellent example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement and our community work together,” said Mark Hildebrand, chief of the Aurora Police Department’s Investigations Division. “We would not have made an arrest this quickly without the public’s help and our strong working relationship with the Colorado Springs Police Department.”
The Arapahoe County County Coroner's Office identified the victim as K'Tahna Jordin Smith. She died of gunshot wound injuries and her death was classified as a homicide.
A 20-year-old woman sustained serious injuries in the shooting but was expected to survive, police said Sunday. A third victim, another 15-year-old girl, sustained a graze wound in the shooting and declined medical attention, police said.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
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