DENVER — A 17-year-old teen is in critical condition at Children’s Hospital in Aurora after he was shot several times on an RTD bus in Denver, according to Denver Police.
The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. Jan. 31 near North Peoria Street and East Albrook Drive.
Olivia Maxwell said her son Jeremiah Topping was shot four times while on his way home from a friend’s house. Maxwell was in Atlanta looking for a new home to move her family when she got a call from the hospital.
“I got a phone call from Children’s Hospital saying that my son had been shot multiple times,” Maxwell said. “My heart dropped. Nobody is ready to lose a child.”
She said she booked the first flight back Monday morning to be with her son. Topping is the youngest of four children.
Denver Police say the suspect confronted Topping on an RTD bus.
Police describe the suspect as a black man in his late teens to early 20s with deadlocks that have gold or blond tips. In the photos released by police the suspect is wearing a Champion hoodie with gray or black shoes.
Denver7 was the first to show Maxwell photos of the suspect.
“I don’t even know what to feel. I don’t even know who that is or why he would even want to hurt my baby,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell described her son as talented, with a passion for art and music.
“I’m terrified. I just want justice for my baby,” Maxwell said.
She’s asking the suspect to turn himself in and pleading with the public to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers if they have any information about the suspect. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a $2,000 reward.