New Year weekend brings violence in Aurora with two murders

By Erika Wurst For Chronicle Media

Aurora Police are investigating the deaths of two men who were killed in separate shooting incidents that occurred across the city over the past several days.

The first shooting occurred around 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 in the 400 block of Melrose Avenue.

Andrew Dockery, 26, of the 400 block of Jackson Street, Aurora, was standing outside a home on Melrose Avenue when someone inside an unknown vehicle that had been traveling eastbound on Melrose Avenue fired a weapon in Dockery’s direction and struck him, police said.

The suspect vehicle was being followed by a newer, gray Nissan Sentra or similar car. Both vehicles apparently had more than one person inside of them, but witnesses provided no further suspect descriptions, according to Aurora Police Department spokesman Dan Ferrelli.

Investigators said they don’t know for sure if the gray vehicle was involved in the shooting, but believe its occupants have more information on what occurred. For that reason, investigators are asking to speak with those people.

An autopsy is pending on Dockery at the Kane County Coroner’s Office.

Police have no definite motive in the shooting, although gang involvement cannot be ruled out. There are no suspect descriptions at this time, according to Ferrelli.

Investigators also are seeking information about a second shooting that killed a 24-year-old Aurora man and injured a 33-year-old man on Monday.

That shooting occurred around 5:18 p.m. in the area of Spring and State streets in Aurora.

They responded to the scene and found William Radillo, 24, 800 block of Fifth Street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Radillo was wheelchair bound, due to injuries he suffered in a 2011 shooting. A 33-year-old man also found injured on the scene had been struck at least once, Ferrelli said

Both men were taken to Aurora hospitals for treatment where Radillo was later pronounced dead at 5:51 p.m. The 33-year-old victim is undergoing treatment for non-life threatening injuries, Ferrelli said.

During their investigation into the shooting, investigators learned that the Radillo and the other man were outside a building on the northwest corner of State and Spring streets when two men in dark clothing approached them.

At least one of the dark-clothed men opened fire on Radillo and the 33-year-old victim, according to Ferrelli,. The suspects then ran to a waiting SUV that was parked in an alley east of the shooting and fled eastbound from the scene.

Police said they are not releasing any further description of the SUV at this time.

Like the New Year’s Eve shooting on Melrose Avenue, police are not ruling out gang involvement as a motive, although, the two do not appear to be related, Ferrelli said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Aurora Police Investigations at (630) 256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Calls to Crime Stoppers that lead to an arrest qualify for a cash reward of up to $5,000. Tips can also be submitted through the Aurora Police Department’s free app available from iTunes, the Android Market, or Amazon App Store. Simply search for “My Police Department”, find the Aurora Police, and download.

 

 

 

— New Year weekend brings violence in Aurora with 2 murders —