Two men were being questioned following a Thursday evening robbery and shooting at an Aurora KFC restaurant.
Police said two males -- one armed with a rifle and the other wearing a mask -- walked into the restaurant in the 1300 block of East New York Street at around 8:30 p.m., announced a robbery, and at some point started firing shots.
"This was brazen. It was violent. It's really a shocking, shocking crime," said Ofc. Dan Ferrelli with the Aurora Police Department.
Ferrelli said three male employees of the restaurant -- ages 17, 19 and 24 -- were hit by gunfire. A fourth female employee hid in a closet and was unharmed. The two older males took bullets to the torso and were critically wounded, although their conditions had stabilized Friday and they were expected to survive. The 17-year-old was shot in the leg.
The suspects fled in a car without stealing any money, police say.
Two persons of interest were in custody after being arrested at a home on the 1100 block of Liberty Street, according to investigators. A third suspect, a 45-year-old man from Chicago, was also arrested at another Aurora location.
Surveillance video obtained from the store was providing leads in the case, police said.
"I have been living here 10 years, and it seems like the violence is getting to us again," nearby resident Melina Chavez said.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Aurora Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000.
