Mark Chalfant, multi-sport athlete, ID'd as Taco Bell shooting victim, suspects at large (2)

Update: The Aurora Police Department has identified the victim of a fatal shooting outside a Taco Bell on June 4; see our previous coverage below. Mark Chalfant, nineteen, was a multi-sport athlete looking forward to a bright future when his life suddenly ended -- and the three suspects in the crime remain at large. Online resources list Chalfant as having competed in athletic events for both Eaglecrest High School and Gateway High School. For instance, a May 2011 edition of the Aurora Sentinel cites Chalfant as the boy's East Metro Athletic Conference (EMAC) champion in the 3,200 meter race and DyeStat.com lists him as finishing first in the mens 5,000 meter race at the junior varsity level during the Aurora City Championships at Exposition Park on September 4, 2012. In addition, MaxPreps notes that Chalfant played varsity football for Gateway during the 2010-2011 season. ColoradoTrackXC says he was a member of Gateway's 2013 class.

That all ended after an altercation at the Taco Bell around midnight on the 4th. Shots were fired and three male suspects are said to have left the area on foot. Chalfant was raced to a local hospital with gunshot wounds but couldn't be saved.

The APD conceded that "there is still limited suspect information" in the case. As such, Metro Denver Crime Stoppers is offering up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for killing Chalfant.

If you can help, you're encouraged to phone Agent Larry Martinez with the department's Major Crime/Homicide Unit at 303-739-6710 or at 720-913-STOP (7867).

Here's a larger look at the photo of Chalfant above, followed by our previous coverage.

Continue for our previous coverage at the homicide outside the Aurora Taco Bell, including an interactive graphic. Original post, 11:50 a.m. June 5: All too often, warm weather brings more altercations -- some with fatal consequences.

A case in point: A shooting near a Taco Bell restaurant early yesterday left a thus-far unidentified teenager dead and the cops in search of three suspects spotted fleeing the scene.

At around midnight yesterday, according to the Aurora Police Department, officers responded to the Taco Bell at 3554 South Tower Road, an area captured in the following interactive graphic. If you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."

View Larger Map

Upon their arrival, the cops found a nineteen-year-old male in the parking lot with an apparent gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital, but he didn't survive his injuries.

Cops believe an altercation in the lot preceded the gunfire. After the teen was struck, three male suspects are said to have left the area on foot.

Descriptions are vague: three white males in their late teens or early twenties, with two clad in dark T-shirts and one possibly sporting a black hoodie with white writing on the front. Each of them is said to have also worn light-colored shorts.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Agent Larry Martinez at 303-739-6710 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered in the case.

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.

More from our Mile High Murder archive circa May 30: "Update: Remembering murder victim Isabel Pineda and raising funds for her funeral (1)."