AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) – Six teenagers were taken to the hospital after a drive-by shooting at Nome Park on Monday afternoon, the Aurora Police Department said.
The victims are between the ages of 14 and 18. Aurora Central High School, which is located at 11700 E. 11th Ave., has the perimeter of the school secured. All the victims are students at the high school.
One child is in emergency surgery, APD Chief Vanessa Wilson said. First responders applied a tourniquet to the child after being shot.
An 18-year-old victim with minor injuries got to the hospital on their own after the initial incident. Three of the victims are currently being treated at Children’s Hospital and two are at UCHealth.
Sources inside the school told FOX31’s Joshua Short that kids were locked in classrooms and quiet, which is the protocol for situations like these.
Wilson said there are multiple suspects at-large and no longer at the scene. The perimeter was expanded as police investigated the area.
One witness described hearing 30 to 50 gunshots, then kids scattering.
Aurora Public Schools sent out an email and automated message to communicate dismissal for students to all Central High School parents.
This is the latest of several violent crimes at Nome Park this year.
FOX31’s Data Desk discovered three aggravated assaults that occurred at the park prior to this incident this year, including one that was gun-related. Another three gun-related aggravated assaults occurred across the street.
Nome Park was the location of a gang-related shooting in 2019 in which teen Dangelo Domena was charged with attempted first-degree murder.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman made this statement on youth violence following the shooting:
A shooting today in a park by Aurora Central High School has left six young people hospitalized. My prayers are with the injured and their families. As the facts surrounding this incident become known, I look forward to hearing from our Chief of Police and from our District Attorney about what actions will be taken to apprehend and prosecute, to the fullest extent of the law, those responsible for this incident. The most important function of government is the protection of its people and I strongly believe that public safety must always be the top priority for this city.
Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly leads day-to-day operations at the city said:
Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Today’s incident is deeply troubling. Violence involving teenagers and young adults is distressing and is sadly a public health problem in communities across the nation. The safety of young people in our community is a priority and that is why we have joined with other metro communities in working collaboratively to address youth violence as a public health crisis.
Earlier this year, the city of Aurora launched the Youth Violence Prevention Program to develop a model inclusive of public health, prevention and intervention efforts that are based on national models and best practices to prevent and address youth violence in the short-term and the long-term. We also entered the Aurora/Denver Youth Empowerment Compact in Nov. 2020 to develop strategies and identify new and existing resources to combat youth violence with a public health approach in collaboration with the City and County of Denver.
Addressing youth violence is complex. We believe these efforts combined with robust, ongoing community input will help reduce the impact of youth violence across the region.
Wilson is asking the public to contact Metro Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 with any information or video of the incident.
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