Police: Footprints in snow led to Aurora shooter's arrest

Aurora police used footprints in the snow to track where a shooter hid his gun last weekend, authorities say.

Patrol officers heard gunshots about 3 a.m. Saturday coming from the area of College Avenue and Union Street, according to a department Facebook post. The officers went to the area and came across two men in a parked car on the 600 block of College Avenue, police said.

An officer reported that one of the men acted "extremely" nervous when he was being questioned. The officer then noticed footprints in the freshly fallen snow that led to a barbecue grill in the backyard of a residence, police said.

The officer reported finding a handgun inside a door that was partially opened at the base of the grill.

The officer matched the footprints to one of suspect's shoes while another officer found surveillance video that appeared to show Javier Garibay, 24, of the 600 block of College Avenue, firing numerous shots into the air, police said.

Garibay was charged with two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

The other man was released without being charged.