An incident at an Aurora 7-Eleven on E. Colfax Avenue on Saturday night resulted in a fatal shooting after an armed man confronted a security guard. According to Denver7, Aurora police reported that the security guard was acting in self-defense when he shot, and killed the 36-year-old man inside the convenience store. The events unfolded around 9 p.m. and the victim was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The altercation began when the man allegedly pulled a gun on the security guard. During their struggle, the security guard reportedly managed to use his weapon to neutralize the threat, as detailed by Aurora police. As The Denver Post reports, the 38-year-old security guard, after being questioned at Aurora police headquarters, was not detained as investigators believe the shooting was in self-defense, although, the investigation is still ongoing.
Details from witnesses helped shape the narrative of the incident. Julie Ellis, a resident, said that her roommate who works at the gas station observed the shooting, as per 9NEWS. She recounted her roommate's tale, "The security guard had no other choice but to fire back because the guy in the parking lot was waving a gun, and threatening to shoot people when a security guard got involved." The Iron Spear Protection Group LLC, the employer of the guard, is lending its full support to the guard involved after reviewing the case, indicating in a statement that they have "absolute certainty" in the guard's actions.
The presence of security guards through a private company, like Iron Spear Protection Group LLC, is not uncommon in convenience store chains such as 7-Eleven. The company's president has stated that they are fully cooperating with the Aurora Police Department's investigation and expect to make a public statement once all facts are established. He also assured that the security guard is currently in good condition and with his family, "The security guard did his job," he said, as noted by 9NEWS.
