Police said the victims appeared to know each other, and no arrests had been announced.
AURORA, CO — Two people were killed and three others were injured in a shooting at an Aurora apartment complex on Christmas Eve, police said, as investigators worked to sort out what led to the gunfire and who opened fire.
The shooting left five people with gunshot wounds and sent families and neighbors into a fearful night during a holiday week. Aurora police said early findings suggest the people involved were known to each other, pointing away from a random attack. As of Friday morning, authorities had not released suspect information or announced arrests, and the victims’ names had not been made public.
Officers were called to the Augusta Apartments in the 1800 block of Billings Street at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday after reports of a shooting, police said. The complex sits in northwest Aurora, in an area near East Colfax Avenue and Interstate 225. When officers arrived, they found multiple people suffering from what police described as apparent gunshot wounds. “Five people sustained gunshot wounds during the shooting,” Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said. The wounded were taken to a hospital, where two later died, he said.
The people who died were a 41-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy, police said. The three survivors were an 18-year-old man, a 42-year-old woman and a 41-year-old woman. Police said all five had been shot. Investigators did not immediately say who lived at the complex, whether the shooting happened inside an apartment or outdoors, or how many shots were fired. They also did not say what kind of firearm was used. The Adams County Coroner’s Office is expected to release the identities of the two people who died, authorities said.
Neighbors described a scene that turned tense fast. Police blocked off parts of the complex as they searched for evidence and spoke with residents. Some people who live nearby said they were shaken by the number of victims and by how quickly the situation unfolded. One neighbor, Senaida Sanchez, told local media that her husband offered to drive victims to the hospital because they did not want to deal with police in the moment. Another neighbor, Angel Merin, said residents were worried about children and families living in the area and said they felt unsafe after the shooting.
Police have not publicly confirmed a motive, and they cautioned that early information can change as detectives compare witness statements with physical evidence. A few neighbors said they believed the incident may have started as a dispute over noise, but investigators said they had not confirmed that account. Aurora police spokesperson Gabby Easterwood told a local outlet that the shooting was “targeted” and not random, and that those involved knew each other. Even so, police said they did not yet have a suspect they could name, and they had not described whether they believe the shooter was a resident, a visitor, or someone who fled the area.
The investigation is being handled by the Aurora Police Department’s Major Crime Homicide Unit, according to police. In the hours after the shooting, officers focused on securing the scene, locating witnesses, and tracking down video that might show what happened before and after the gunfire. Detectives typically collect shell casings, test for fingerprints and DNA where possible, and review any surveillance footage from nearby buildings or vehicles, but police did not say what evidence they had recovered in this case. Authorities also did not say whether any of the victims were able to speak with investigators at the hospital.
As the case moves forward, investigators are expected to keep working through interviews and evidence reviews while waiting for the coroner to confirm identities and causes of death. Police said they would provide updates once details are confirmed. It was not clear whether prosecutors had been presented with a case for possible charges, and no court dates had been announced. Police said anyone with information about the shooting can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation, and officials have not said when the next public update will come.
For residents at the apartment complex, the holiday night ended with flashing lights and crime scene tape. People stood outside in winter clothes as officers moved through the area, and the questions that followed were immediate: what sparked the gunfire, and whether the person responsible might be found quickly. By Friday, police had not said whether they had recovered a weapon or identified a suspect vehicle. The three survivors remained the only living eyewitnesses known to have been shot, but police did not describe their conditions.
Authorities said Friday that the two people who died would be identified by the Adams County Coroner’s Office, and detectives were still working to confirm the chain of events that led to the shooting at the Augusta Apartments.
Author note: Last updated December 26, 2025.