Press conference on dropped charges in Aurora school kidnapping attempt
Press Conference Date | Time | Address | Location |
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 | 1:30 PM | 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112 | Public Sidewalk Outside the Arapahoe County Justice Center |
Families Outraged After Charges Dropped in Aurora Elementary Kidnapping Attempt
Parents, Concerned Citizens, Civic Leaders, and the Founder of Safe2Tell to Speak Out on Systemic Failure and Urgent Need for Reform
Centennial, CO – On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN) will host a press conference following the shocking decision by the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office of Arapahoe County to dismiss all charges against Solomon Galligan, a registered sex offender who attempted to kidnap an 11-year-old child from a Cherry Creek School Disrict Elementary School during recess.
Despite video surveillance confirming the attempted abduction and Galligan’s prior criminal history, the Arapahoe County District Attorney cited his mental incompetence to stand trial as grounds for dismissal. As a result, Galligan is no longer in criminal custody. He has been transferred to involuntary mental health treatment under a short-term hold that may last only weeks or months, not years. If doctors determine he is “stable,” he can be released back into the community at any time. This process is neither permanent nor protective. It leaves Colorado families vulnerable and places already at-risk patients and frontline staff at mental health facilities in danger, as they are now responsible for managing a violent individual without the oversight, resources, or legal tools available in the criminal justice system.
“Parents across Colorado are terrified. We are speaking out because we’ve been left in the dark, our children are not safe, and our legal system is not protecting them,” said Lori Gimelshteyn, Executive Director of the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN). “This case is not an exception. It is a glaring example of how our state laws are failing to protect the most vulnerable among us. Colorado cannot be a state where attempted child abductions go unpunished. We want to raise our kids without fear. Right now, we can’t.”
Confirmed Speakers
Lori Gimelshteyn, Executive Director, Colorado Parent Advocacy Network: Speaking on behalf of families across Colorado, highlighting the emotional toll, lack of accountability, and the urgent need to reform laws that leave children and communities unprotected.
Representative Scott Bottoms, Gubernatorial Candidate: Addressing how legislation signed by Governor Jared Polis has undermined public safety and blocked prosecution of violent offenders.
Susan Payne, Founder of Safe2Tell, 27 Years in Law Enforcement, Special Advisor to Safe & Sound Schools, and School Safety Expert with the Center for the Study & Prevention of Violence: Bringing national expertise on school safety and violence prevention, Payne will speak on the policy breakdowns that put students, staff, and communities at risk.
George H. Brauchler, District Attorney, 23rd Judicial District (Douglas, Elbert & Lincoln Counties): A career prosecutor and former lead attorney in the Aurora theater and STEM school shooting cases, DA Brauchler will highlight additional examples that reveal the consequences of current competency laws and offer concrete legislative solutions to improve public safety.
Media Inquiries :
Colorado Parent Advocacy Network
