Teen dead in shooting outside Town Center at Aurora mall

AURORA — A teenager was shot and killed outside Town Center at Aurora mall Saturday evening.

As of 7:00 a.m. Sunday, police did not have a suspect in custody.

Police say shooting took place around 8 p.m. – closing time at the mall – in the parking lot outside Dillard’s on the south side of the mall. The incident began as an altercation in the food court, according to Aurora police chief Art Acevedo.

As off-duty officers responded to the scene, shots rang out in the parking lot. One of those officers attempted CPR on the victim before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Acevedo said preliminary information indicated there was one shooter involved. No one was in custody late Saturday.

Acevedo spoke frankly about youth violence during a late-night news conference at the scene.

"The fact that we’re chasing these young people, we’re arresting these young people, and they go in one door and out the other, this is what happens. People get hurt and get killed," he said. [Police are] doing our jobs, but it’s time for the courts and the legislature to get serious about juvenile violence."

He said Aurora police took four juveniles into custody earlier Saturday related to a "crime spree" that included at least one carjacking.

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