Family, protesters call for answers in police shooting death of 19-year-old by Aurora police after chase

The family of Christopher Lepe, who was killed early Wednesday by Aurora police, pleaded Thursday night for more information about what happened.

At a candlelight vigil at the police department, Yanet Lepe cried as she exclaimed “Above everything else, I need to know if that is my son!”

“Let her see the body!” people in the crowd shouted.

Vigil leader Pablo Puja, an Aurora community activist, said Lepe's family has not been permitted yet to see his body.

An autopsy was performed Wednesday by the Kane County coroner. The coroner will not rule on the manner and cause of death until after results of toxicology reports are received.

Lepe, 19, was shot shortly after 1:30 a.m. On South Broadway (Route 25). Aurora police and a Kane County deputy had been chasing him, after a report from Geneva police that the car he was driving was suspected of injuring a Geneva police officer a little while earlier. Geneva police said their officer was investigating a vehicle in a business parking lot on Randall Road, and suspected the driver was intoxicated.

At the vigil, Lepe's older brother, Brian, said Lepe had had a bad day and was driving to clear his head.

“Many of us come back home. Why couldn't he come back home?” Brian Lepe said.

Brian Lepe said a “Kane County detective” had shown him a still picture from police videos. The picture proved his brother was not aiming a gun at police, Brian Lepe said. Lepe was trying to surrender, he said, and had the weapon pointed up in the air, and his finger was not on the trigger, Brian Lepe said.

The Kane County Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the shooting. The two Aurora police officers who shot Lepe have been placed on paid leave. Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said police body camera videos won't be released until after the officers are interviewed, and those interviews would not take place until 72 hours after the shooting.

The crowd at the vigil criticized the delay in releasing the videos. Puja suggested there are no videos.

“We really do believe that this alleged video, if it existed, it would have already been released,” he said. “I know it, you know it. Everybody hear knows it.”

Aurora police Wednesday declined to say what kind of gun they believe the officers saw. Authorities also said the officers would not be interviewed for several days.