Jail records indicate that the individual responsible for the shooting on Smoky Hill Road in Aurora has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault.
Gunshots rang out in Aurora on Thursday, leaving two women and a man wounded in the vicinity of E. Smoky Hill Road and E. Quincy Avenue.
Matthew Longshore, the spokesperson for Aurora Police, stated that there is no indication that the suspect had any prior connection with the individuals involved.
When the APD officers arrived at the scene, they came across various instances of violence.
A 50-year-old woman was found by APD officers in her vehicle at the 4400 block of South Eagle Circle. She had sustained gunshot wounds.
According to Longshore, the officers noticed a damaged vehicle while they were inspecting the surrounding area.
Late into the night, a significant police presence was established due to the shooting incident, which resulted in the detention of one individual.
Authorities have identified the individual who was apprehended as 34-year-old Austin Benson. Benson was taken into custody at an Aurora apartment, where law enforcement officials also found numerous firearms.
According to CBS News Colorado Reporter Michael Abeyta, Benson had previous charges of attempted murder in the state.
While the motive for the incident has not been revealed by the police, records indicate possible similarities to previous cases associated with an individual sharing the same name as the current suspect.
According to court records dated 2018, a 29-year-old named Austin Benson, who shares the same birthdate as the Aurora shooting suspect, was reportedly involved in comparable incidents in El Paso and Douglas counties.
Back in July 2018, law enforcement in El Paso County were in pursuit of a carjacking suspect who had opened fire on both vehicles and individuals along Rampart Range Road. The suspect’s dangerous actions eventually came to a stop at Devil’s Head Campground in Douglas County, where he encountered a retired police officer from Alabama while brandishing a rifle.
As of this moment, Benson remains incarcerated at the Arapahoe County Jail, facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault. A bond of $2 million has been set, and his next court appearance is slated for July 1st.
