AURORA | A 17-year-old boy, charged as an adult, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for shooting and killing another teenager in last year at an Aurora event center.

Xavier Garcia, 17, was 16 when he shot and killed 19-year-old Joseph Martinez on March 23, 2024, according to police and court records.

Police were called that night to the Victory Grange event center at 2025 Tower Road in response to multiple reports of gunshots at a party, according to an arrest affidavit.

One 911 caller reported hearing “over 200 shots of multiple different calibers” being fired, and an arrest affidavit notes many cartridge casings were recovered from the scene.

When police officers arrived, they saw vehicles appearing to flee from the event center. Inside, they found Martinez,

See Full Page