The suspect in the Aurora shooting has already been charged with 23 counts of attempted murder

The 35-year-old man charged with attempted murder in a June shooting in Aurora allegedly apologized to his first victim before driving off and shooting two more people, according to an affidavit.

After shooting a 49-year-old woman in her car outside her home, Austin Benson allegedly told her and other family members who had rushed outside, “I'm sorry.” You are not the only ones, I have already shot several people,” the affidavit before the trip says.

Benson was arrested in June and charged with attempted murder, assault, menacing and multiple weapons offenses, according to court records. The 35-year-old faces a total of 27 charges, including:

• Four counts of attempted first-degree murder;
• Three counts of first-degree assault causing serious bodily injury;
• Three counts of first-degree assault with extreme indifference;
• Two counts of attempted first-degree assault;
• Four counts of criminal menacing;
• Four counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm;
• In one case, a large capacity gun magazine was used in the commission of a crime;
• In one case, a prohibited weapon was used while drunk;
• One count of leaving the scene of an accident;
• And four sentence enhancers for violent crimes.

Benson has been arrested five times in Colorado, including in 2018 on 23 counts of attempted first-degree murder in Douglas County, police said. The charges were dropped in October 2023.

On June 27 at approximately 9:20 p.m., police responded to reports of an accident and shots fired in the 4400 block of South Eagle Circle in Aurora.

The caller told dispatchers they heard about 10 shots fired outside their home and saw a man hit another car before exiting his vehicle with an AK-47 rifle, shared the police in the arrest affidavit. When officers arrived, they found a 49-year-old woman still sitting in her car with multiple gunshot wounds.

In the affidavit, the woman's 18-year-old daughter, who was also in the car during the shooting, told police that the two were driving home from dinner when they saw a strange car parked in their driveway, hitting their front door and garage blocked. The driving mother was stopped in the driveway when a bullet shattered her window and shards of glass sprayed onto the car.

Several more shots were fired, but the daughter could not identify where they were coming from and could not see the shooter, the affidavit said. When the shooting stopped, the gunman walked to the car's broken window and stood there, staring blankly into the car, the daughter told police.

As other family members rushed out of the house to help the mother, the gunman apologized, got back in his car and drove south toward Smoky Hill Road, the police affidavit said.

Other witnesses to the first shooting told investigators that the man appeared to be “outgoing” and that he may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said. A man said he got close enough to Benson after the shooting stopped to possibly take the rifle away from him, and the man appeared “indecisive” and did not respond to the approaching witness.

At about 9:30 p.m., Benson allegedly shot two more people – a 35-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman who were driving together in the 4600 block of East Crystal Way – less than a half-mile after the first shooting. said the police.

On the man's way to work, the two noticed another car with only one headlight driving towards them in their lane against traffic, the affidavit states. The man behind the wheel swerved a few times to avoid a collision, and the oncoming driver mimicked his movements, police said.

The man narrowly avoided a collision but noticed the other driver – believed to be Benson – had pulled onto the curb and went back to check on him, police said. As they approached, Benson allegedly got out of his car and began shooting.