Police said the gunfire happened at an apartment complex near Billings Street and Evergreen Avenue.
AURORA, CO — Two people were killed and three others were wounded in a shooting at an Aurora apartment complex on Christmas Eve, police said, as detectives worked Thursday to sort out what led to the gunfire and to identify who pulled the trigger.
The shooting sent officers and medics to the Augusta Apartments in the 1800 block of Billings Street around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said. All five victims had gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospitals. A 41-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy later died, while three others survived with injuries that were not described as life-threatening.
Investigators did not announce any arrests or name a suspect early Thursday, and police said they were still working to confirm what happened inside the complex. Aurora police said their early findings suggest the shooting involved people who knew each other, a detail that can shape how detectives interview witnesses and track down the shooter. The victims who survived were described as an 18-year-old man, a 42-year-old woman and a 41-year-old woman.
Neighbors reported hearing a burst of gunfire and then shouting as people ran through walkways and stairwells, according to accounts shared with local media. Officers arriving at the complex found “multiple victims” with apparent gunshot wounds, Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said. Patrol officers began rendering aid and calling for paramedics while additional units secured the area and began looking for the shooter, Moylan said.
Police did not say how many shots were fired or what kind of weapon was used. Investigators also did not say whether the victims were shot in one apartment, in a hallway, or outdoors on the property. By late Wednesday, officers had taped off parts of the complex, with flashing patrol lights reflecting off windows as detectives began gathering evidence. Police said they were still collecting witness statements and reviewing any video that might help track movements before and after the gunfire.
Aurora’s Major Crime Homicide Unit took over the case, police said, a standard step when a shooting results in deaths. Detectives typically work to map the timeline minute by minute, identify who was present, and determine whether the shooting was planned, sparked by an argument, or connected to a larger dispute. Police said the circumstances leading up to the shooting remained under investigation, and they did not release a possible motive.
The two people who died were not publicly identified Thursday. Police said the Adams County Coroner’s Office would release the names after notifications are made and the office completes its process. The deaths of a 41-year-old woman and a teenage boy drew special attention from residents of the complex, some of whom said they had seen children playing nearby earlier in the day as families marked the holiday.
Police said the shooting happened near the intersection of Billings Street and Evergreen Avenue, in a part of Aurora east of Denver that includes apartment buildings, small parks and busy neighborhood roads. The Augusta Apartments sit close to common routes used by commuters and holiday travelers, and the shooting came as many families were finishing Christmas Eve gatherings. Some residents said they were preparing to open gifts with children or watching holiday movies when they heard the shots.
Officials did not say whether the shooting was reported by a victim, a neighbor, or a caller who heard gunfire. Dispatchers often receive multiple calls in such cases, and those calls can help investigators understand where the shots came from and how quickly the situation unfolded. Police also did not say whether anyone else was injured while fleeing or whether property was damaged, such as vehicles or apartment windows.
While Aurora police said the preliminary investigation points to “known parties,” they cautioned that the case was still in its early stages. Detectives generally test early impressions against physical evidence, interviews and digital records. Even when people know each other, investigators must still determine whether the shooting involved a single gunman, whether others played a role, and whether the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived or remained nearby.
Aurora police said they had no suspect information to release and that no arrests had been made. That can mean detectives are still trying to confirm who fired the shots, or that they have a likely suspect but need enough evidence to seek a warrant or make an arrest that will hold up in court. Investigators may also be working to locate and interview people who left the scene before police arrived.
The shootings added to renewed focus on violence at multi-unit housing complexes, where disputes can escalate quickly and where the number of residents can make it difficult to quickly separate witnesses from people who only heard shots. Apartment complexes can also include shared entrances, courtyards and parking lots that complicate efforts to pinpoint the exact location of gunfire, especially at night.
A nonprofit group that tracks shootings nationwide, Gun Violence Archive, listed the Aurora incident among its mass shooting reports for 2025, reflecting the five people shot. Such listings are based on publicly reported details and can be updated as investigations develop. Police in Aurora have not used that label in their public statements, focusing instead on confirming victims, collecting evidence and working the case as a homicide investigation.
Detectives often seek out surveillance video from building cameras, doorbell cameras and nearby businesses in the hours after a shooting. They also review phone records and social media posts when relevant, and they may ask a judge for warrants to obtain certain digital evidence. Police did not say Thursday what evidence they had collected so far, but they said the investigation was active and ongoing.
In the hours after the shooting, residents described a heavy police presence and a tense mood. Some said they were told to avoid certain walkways while officers worked the scene. Others said they watched from windows as investigators moved through the property, sometimes using flashlights to search the ground and taking photos of areas that appeared to be part of the crime scene.
The three survivors were taken to hospitals, but officials did not provide details about their conditions or the nature of their injuries. Police did not say whether any of the victims required surgery, whether anyone was in critical condition, or whether any of the survivors had been released. Those details are often withheld early, especially if releasing them could interfere with the investigation or if families have not been fully notified.
Aurora police did not immediately describe the relationships among the five victims, saying only that the shooting appeared to involve people who were known to each other. Investigators may still be determining whether the victims were friends, relatives, neighbors, or connected through another relationship. Detectives also typically work to learn whether a dispute had been building, whether threats were made earlier, and whether anyone tried to intervene before shots were fired.
As the case moves forward, investigators are expected to continue interviews and to work with prosecutors to determine potential charges once a suspect is identified. In Colorado, charges in fatal shootings can range widely depending on the facts, including first- or second-degree murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and weapons offenses. Police did not say Thursday what charges could be possible because they had not publicly identified a suspect.
Any arrest would likely be followed by a first court appearance where a judge advises the suspect of charges and sets conditions of release. Prosecutors could also seek a court order to hold a suspect in jail, depending on the circumstances. Police did not announce a schedule for a news briefing, and they did not say when they expected to release additional details.
Investigators often rely on community cooperation in cases where witnesses may be reluctant to speak, especially when the shooter is believed to be connected to the people involved. Police sometimes ask residents to share video, photos or information they saw around the time of the shooting. Aurora police have not publicly described a specific request for tips in this case, but officials said the investigation remained active as detectives worked to locate key witnesses.
For some residents, the timing of the shooting made it especially jarring. Christmas Eve is typically a quiet night in many neighborhoods, and several people described the shock of hearing gunfire instead of holiday music. Some said they noticed more police patrols afterward and saw officers walking through the property as the scene was processed.
Aurora, Colorado’s third-largest city, has worked in recent years to address concerns about violent crime and to strengthen relationships between police and residents in a diverse community. Incidents like the Christmas Eve shooting can test those efforts, particularly when they occur at large housing complexes where residents may feel vulnerable. City officials did not immediately release a public statement about the shooting beyond the police department’s updates.
By Thursday, the focus remained on identifying the two people who died and determining who fired the shots. The Adams County Coroner’s Office was expected to release the names of the 41-year-old woman and the 17-year-old boy after the next of kin are notified. Police said the case was still under investigation and that there was no suspect information or arrests to report.
Author note: Last updated 2025-12-25.