Boy identified as a 13-year-old shot and killed outside Town Center at Aurora Mall
The Arapahoe County Coroner's office identified the victim who was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Town Center at Aurora Mall near the west side of the mall, outside Dillard's on Saturday night. He is 13-year-old Phoenix Day. His death is listed as a homicide.
According to Aurora police, off-duty officers were informed about a fight in the food court near closing time which spilled out in the parking lot.
At a news conference outside the mall last Saturday night, Aurora Police Department Interim Chief Art Acevedo said shots were fired around 8 p.m. by one person. Police performed CPR on the victim until an ambulance arrived and the victim was taken to Children's Hospital where Day was later pronounced dead.
Off-duty officers in uniform at the mall and movie theater responded to the altercation at the food court and immediately headed to the area of the shooting.
Acevedo did not want to put the suspect's information out to the public just yet, as he said he was confident his officers will find the shooter.
"If you are the individual, turn yourself in," Acevedo said, emphasizing the fact they will find him.
Acevedo added that teen violence is on the rise and pleads with the public to help make young people accountable for their actions. He blames the system for allowing convicts to be released and commit more crimes.
"We're chasing these young people in one door and out the other," said Acevedo.
Acevedo added that it's time for the courts and legislature to get serious about juvenile violence.
Acevedo took the time to talk about a "crime spree" in Aurora that happened early on Saturday that possibly involved multiple carjackings where four juveniles were arrested and one is a suspect in a shooting.
He added that he stands by his recent approval for Aurora police to chase suspects in police cars to try to prevent them from getting away.
This comes just after two school administrators were shot at East High School by a teen who later took his life earlier this week.
