A man sitting in a car at the Cottonwood Trail Apartments, 10756 E. Virginia Ave., in Aurora was shot and killed this morning.
Bob Friel, spokesman for the Aurora Police Department, said that Aurora police received a call around 7:30 a.m., and arrived at the complex where they found the man sitting in a white SUV with the motor running.
“The man was unresponsive,” said Friel. “We believe he was in the SUV when shot.”
“We do not believe it was a suicide,” Friel added.
Arapahoe County coroner Dr. Mike Doberson , who performed an autopsy on the victim, said he has classified the death as a homicide.
Doberson said the victim, whose identity is not known, was shot once in the head and would have died within seconds.
Nelson Vasquez, who lives in the complex with his wife and two children, said he heard the horn in the car — which is parked in front of his apartment – blaring for 30 to 40 seconds about 7 a.m.
He said that a short time later, Aurora detectives knocked on his door and told him the man in the car was dead.
Vasquez said he could see bullet holes in the car windows and that some of the glass has shattered.
He said he did not hear any shots being fired but was shocked when detectives told him the man had been shot and killed so near to his apartment.
Doberson said the victim, who was in the driver’s seat, may have fallen against the steering wheel and horn when initially shot then slumped back after some seconds.
Friel said numerous witnesses have come forward and the investigation is continuing.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
