Suspect in Aurora shooting has prior offenses of attempted first-degree murder in Colorado
On Thursday evening, Aurora police responded to multiple reports of gunshots near Smoky Hill Road and Quincy Avenue. Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple scenes of violence.
In the 4400 block of South Eagle Circle, they located a 50-year-old woman in her car suffering from gunshot wounds.
She was swiftly transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Just a block away, a 64-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man were shot while walking. Police began to suspect all the shootings were perpetrated by the same individual.
"While officers were surveying the immediate area, they observed a vehicle that appeared to be damaged," stated Aurora police spokesman Matthew Longshore.
Subsequently, authorities located the suspect believed to have shot the three victims in a nearby apartment. The suspect was apprehended without incident, but police discovered multiple firearms within the apartment. They proceeded to investigate the motive behind the shootings.
"We don't believe that the suspect knew any of these people," Longshore said.
The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Austin Benson. Though police have not yet disclosed a motive, records suggest similarities to previous incidents involving a person with the same name.
Court documents from 2018 indicate that a 29-year-old Austin Benson, sharing the same birthdate as the suspect in the Aurora shooting, was involved in similar incidents in Colorado in El Paso and Douglas counties.
In July 2018, El Paso County authorities pursued a carjacking suspect who fired upon vehicles and individuals along Rampart Range Road before halting at Devil's Head Campground in Douglas County, where he confronted a retired Alabama police officer with a rifle.
The officer defended himself by shooting the suspect, who attempted to flee but crashed his vehicle and was subsequently arrested.
The suspect faced charges including multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder and felony menacing, which were later dismissed due to a finding of mental incompetence to stand trial.
In 2019, the individual involved in the Douglas County incident, now identified as 30-year-old Austin Benson, was charged with assaulting hospital staff in Parker, violating his bond conditions from the 2018 case. He was taken into custody.
In Aurora, investigators continue to probe the events of Thursday night and have not confirmed whether the Austin Benson linked to the Douglas County incidents is the same individual involved in the recent shootings.
"Hopefully we can try to figure out why this happened," Longshore concluded.
