Suspect in deadly Aurora church shooting killed in police shooting following crime spree

AURORA, Colo. — Aurora police said the suspect in last week's deadly shooting at an Aurora church was killed in a police shooting Wednesday following a crime spree that spanned across two counties.

Jose De Jesus Montoya Villa, 31, was wanted by the Aurora Police Department for first-degree murder. He was a suspect in Friday's shooting at Iglesia Faro De Luz Church that left one woman dead and two men, who were pastors at the church, injured.

Wednesday's crime spree began at 3:45 p.m. after officers received a call of a shooting in a parking lot at 820 North Dayton Street. Montoya Villa pointed a gun at numerous people and fired shots in the parking lot, hitting a 26-year-old man, according to Agent Matthew Longshore, public information officer with the Aurora Police Department. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be okay.

Immediately after the shooting, he carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint and fled the area, Longshore said during a press conference Wednesday.

Around 3:57 p.m., Montoya Villa was involved in a hit-and-run crash at 13th and Dayton. A few minutes later at 4:10 p.m., a liquor store was robbed at 728 North Peoria Street. No one was injured, according to Longshore. Authorities are still determining if anything was taken.

Montoya Villa left and began traveling on I-225. He exited on Parker and carjacked another car at 4:30 p.m., Longshore said. Ten minutes later at Jamison and Parker, two officers, who were traveling in a District 3 patrol car, spotted the suspect vehicle turning east onto Jamison. The officers attempted to pull over Montoya Villa when they were confronted by him, Longshore said.

The officers fired at Montoya Villa, who was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

The 18th Judicial District's Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is leading the investigation into the police shooting. The team will review body camera video to determine who fired and how many shots were fired. Per Aurora PD protocol, the two officers have been placed on administrative leave.

Video from the scene showed numerous Aurora police cars in the area. No officers were injured in the shooting, Longshore said.

"I am extremely relieved that my officers were not injured this evening," Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said in a tweet. "They stopped a dangerous criminal from further victimizing our community."

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Parker Police Department, Rocky Mountain Falck and South Metro Fire Rescue were all involved at some point during Wednesday's spree.

This is a developing news story that will be updated.