It was just after midnight in southeast Aurora when 16-year-old Gregory Buels was shot and killed in the driveway of a home on Dec. 21, 2025, a loss that has left a tight circle of family and classmates trying to make sense of it all. This week, they came together to remember a boy they describe as a devoted student and a driven basketball kid who always seemed to have a ball in his hands.
What police say
Aurora police say officers were called around 12:15 a.m. to the 3400 block of South Jebel Court, where they found a teenage boy lying in a driveway with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives later learned that a 17-year-old person of interest had been found dead in Denver from a self-inflicted injury, and investigators say they are not looking for any additional suspects, according to Denver7.
Family remembers Gregory
The family identified the victim as 16-year-old Gregory Buels. His mother, Monique Buels, called him a “care bear,” describing her son as both a strong student and a dedicated basketball player. Relatives say teachers and the principal from his high school came to a recent memorial, where people signed basketballs in his honor, and that the school plans to award Gregory an honorary diploma in the spring. Monique also told reporters she believes the suspected shooter struggled with mental health issues, and authorities say the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting is now in Denver police custody, as reported by KDVR.
Police appeal and how to help
Aurora’s Major Crimes/Homicide unit is asking anyone with information about what happened to contact detectives or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward, according to Sentinel Colorado. Investigators say the case remains active, that they are following up on leads, and that they are not yet sharing many details about a possible motive or how the two teens might have known each other.
Broader context
Local outreach workers and violence intervention specialists have been warning that gaps in mental health care, combined with financial strain in many households, are feeding a rise in youth-involved violence across the Denver metro area. Their prevention work focuses on stepping in before conflicts spiral into retaliation and connecting at-risk young people with services, as reported by Denver7.
Gregory’s family says they want people to remember his easy smile and his love of basketball, not just the way his life ended, and they are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. Anyone with tips can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867, and if you or someone you know needs mental health support, you can call or text 988, as reported by Sentinel Colorado.
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