Two separate shootings leave one man injured in Aurora

Two shootings have been reported in Aurora, with one man wounded and three others coming under fire.

Police said an 18-year-old Aurora man was shot in his hand about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday near Benton and LaSalle streets.

According to police, the victim said a masked man dressed in black came out of an alley, uttered a gang-related question and produced a gun. The victim ran east and said the suspect shot him in the hand while he ran. A family member drove him to the hospital where he was treated for an injury that does not appear to be life-threatening.

On Monday night, three men said they were shot at while they stood on a porch around 8:45 p.m. on the 400 block of Beach Street. Police said the victims saw two men standing on the southwest corner of Beach and Grove streets. One of the suspects, who was wearing a white T-shirt, opened fire.

The three men took cover inside the home. No one was injured but the house did sustain gunfire damage near the front door.

Later Monday night, a 22-year-old Aurora man who is a pizza delivery driver was robbed around 11:55 p.m. on the 2200 block of Bluebell Court.

When he arrived at the supposed address of the home that placed the order, two men were standing outside and approached him. When one of the men asked what they owed, the other pushed the delivery driver against the car and placed a hard object against his neck before stealing his cellphone, wallet and the food. The suspects were both described as black males, about 6 feet tall and wearing gray hooded sweatshirts.

Despite the recent gun-related crimes, Aurora police say shootings are down to nearly half what they were at this time last year.

Spokesman Dan Ferrelli said there were 26 shootings in the city as of Wednesday, down from 49 during the same period a year ago.