AURORA, CO – A 16-year-old male is currently in custody, suspected of a fatal shooting that occurred at Southlands Mall in Aurora last month, according to the Aurora Police Department. The victim, Raphael Velin, aged 15, was shot on September 30 in the shopping center’s parking lot near 6100 Main St. Velin was rushed to hospital for treatment, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect, whose identity is withheld due to his age, turned himself into the police on Monday. He is currently facing charges of second-degree murder and aggravated robbery. Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo, during a press conference on Monday, revealed that investigators believe there were multiple shooters involved in the incident, all of whom are believed to be teenagers or young adults.
The police had already obtained a warrant for one suspect, who turned himself in late Monday afternoon. On October 1, investigators suggested that the shooting was the result of a prearranged meeting between the parties involved. Despite no known threat to shoppers, Acevedo confirmed that police patrols at the mall have been increased.
The police are still working to identify and locate additional suspects and witnesses to the shooting. They are urging anyone with information to contact authorites, and anonymous tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers operates by assigning a code to individuals who anonymously submit a tip. The information is then shared with law enforcement, and Crime Stoppers is notified upon the conclusion of the investigation. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster will be notified and can collect their reward using the code numbers received when the tip was originally submitted.