Stephen Dennis Qualls was 48 when he was shot and killed in Aurora, Colorado, on the night of Monday, June 5, 2023. He had celebrated a new job as a train operator for the RTD earlier that day and was a passenger in a vehicle returning from dinner with two other adults and two small children. As their vehicle neared the intersection of South Havana Street and East Idaho Place, witnesses say a red or maroon Ford Explorer with tan trim was being driven erratically and an exchange occurred at a stoplight. A shot fired from that vehicle struck Qualls.

Emergency crews arrived just before 10:00 p.m. and Qualls was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries. The Aurora Police Department appealed for information, especially dashcam footage; the suspect vehicle was last seen heading south on Havana Street. Friends and family described Qualls as noble, gentle, and a mentor to young Black men in his circle. No arrests have been announced and no specific suspect has been publicly identified.

If anyone saw the Ford Explorer, has dashcam video, or knows anything about the shooting, please share what was seen or recorded with Aurora police.