Aurora police are seeking witnesses to a Monday afternoon shooting that occurred in a busy shopping center parking lot and left a 22-year-old man injured.
According to Aurora Police Department spokesman Dan Ferrelli, the incident began in the Wal-Mart parking lot in the 2100 block of West Galena Boulevard around 3:35 p.m.
A silver vehicle with more than one man inside began chasing a gold sedan eastbound through the parking lot of Westgate Plaza just before the shots were fired.
Ferrelli said as the vehicles approached the 1900 block of West Galena Boulevard, someone inside the silver vehicle aimed a gun at the gold sedan and fired off several shots.
One of the three men inside the gold sedan suffered a non-life threatening wound to the head. A support pillar in front of the Hallmark store was also struck by gunfire.
“To say this was a brazen act doesn’t even begin to illustrate the danger of shots being fired in the parking lot of a shopping center,” Ferrelli said. “Rest assured we are aggressively investigating this, and our number one priority is to hold those responsible accountable.”
Ferrelli said both vehicles fled the scene, but police were able to quickly locate the gold sedan.
Police stopped the vehicle as it sped near Illinois Avenue and Buell Street. Inside the car, police located the victim. Ferrelli said paramedics arrived on scene and transported the 22-year-old man to an Aurora hospital for treatment.
Two other men inside the vehicle, a 21-year-old from Aurora and a 22-year-old from Montgomery, were not injured, Ferrelli said. Both men were taken into custody for questioning and later released.
Ferrelli said there is no indication any of the men were inside the Wal-Mart store before the shooting occurred.
While a definite motive has not been established, police have not ruled out gang involvement.
Many shoppers came forward with their account of the events in what Ferrelli called a “commendable” situation.
“This occurred in the middle of the day in a parking lot of a shopping center that typically doesn’t have this type of crime,” Ferrelli said. “We were able to get some witness accounts, but we believe more people out there saw something and we hope they come forward and talk to us.”
Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call investigators at 630-256-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and are eligible for a cash reward.