Aurora Church Shooting: Manhunt for Alleged Gunman

Aurora Police Department investigators believe they know who killed a woman and shot two pastors at a local church on the evening of February 4: An arrest warrant has been issued for 31-year-old Jose de Jesus Montoya Villa.

The attack, which made headlines across the country, is only the latest act of violence to take place in the town; in late 2021, fifteen Aurora youths were shot and one was killed during a two-week period.

The APD's first alert about the church incident was a tweet at 8:39 p.m. on February 4: "Officers on scene of a shooting near Olathe/6th. There are reports of multiple people shot, unknown ages or conditions. Still gathering information and will update here when we know more."

A subsequent release identified the site of the shooting as Iglesia Faro de Luz, a church affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination; it's located at 538 Olathe Street. The first calls had come in at around 8:15 p.m.; when they arrived on the scene, officers discovered a 36-year-old woman and two men, ages 40 and 42, suffering from gunshot wounds.

The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the two men were transported to a local hospital. The names of the victims have not been released. However, the men are said to be pastors at the church.

Between fifteen and twenty people were present at the church when the bullets began to fly, according to the APD, which also revealed that "investigators do know that there is a personal connection between the suspect and one of the shooting victims" — the woman who died.

Just past 10 a.m. on Sunday, February 6, Aurora police confirmed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Montoya Villa. The document has not yet been made public, but the APD shared the previous booking photo of the suspect.

Montoya Villa is considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867); a $2,000 award is being offered for information leading to his arrest.