BOULDER, Colo. — The City of Boulder and several organizations held a Day of Remembrance event at eTown Hall on Friday to honor the 10 lives lost in the Boulder King Soopers shooting three years ago.
Ten people were shot and killed inside or outside the Table Mesa King Soopers on March 22, 2021:
- Suzanne Fountain, 59, was a warm and caring woman with a passion for theater, friends and colleagues shared with Denver7. She worked as a financial counselor in the healthcare industry.
- Rikki Olds, 25, was a manager at the Table Mesa Drive King Soopers. Her family said she was a “firecracker” with an infectious giggle, a strong work ethic and an independent spirit.
- Officer Eric Talley, 51, was described by his mother as a man of deep faith, a devoted father of seven children who became a police officer after his friend was killed by a drunk driver.
- Jody Waters, 65, was a staple on the Pearl Street Mall. She used to own a store there and most recently worked at Island Farm, another clothing boutique, friends of hers said.
- Denny Stong, 20, was inside the King Soopers at the time of the shooting. He worked there, but typically at night. According to his coworker, Logan Smith, “His very honest, blunt personality — he would poke fun at you with no remorse but still love you at the same time."
- Tralona Bartkowiak, or as people close to her called her, “Lona,” "Lonna," was the owner of Umba Love, a clothing store she co-owned with her sister, Lisa Noble.
- Neven Stanisic, 23, was the second youngest of the victims in the mass shooting. Stanisic was born in the U.S. after his family fled to America in the late 1990s from the war in former Yugoslavia, leaders at Saint John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Church in Lakewood said.
- Kevin Mahoney, 61, worked in hotel asset management and investments. His daughter, Erika Mahoney, shared the news of her father’s death on Twitter. “My dad represents all things Love. I’m so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer,” she wrote, adding that she was pregnant and that her father knows “he wants me to be strong for his granddaughter.”
- Lynn Murray, 62, was a mother of two and former photo director for Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamour, her husband told The New York Times. She had been working for Instacart and was filling an order when the shooting happened. She and her family moved out of New York in 2002 and ended up in Colorado after a stint in Florida
- Teri Leiker, 51, was a longtime worker at King Soopers who had spent more than 30 years with the company. Leiker was a major supporter of the Colorado Buffaloes.
Boulder King Soopers Shooting
Remembering the 10 lives lost in the Boulder King Soopers shooting 3 years ago
After a brief moment of candlelit silence, Mayor Aaron Brockett started the ceremony by reading the city council's proclamation that declared March 22 "Boulder Day of Remembrance."
"It has been said that there are three deaths — when the body ceases to function, when the body is returned to the earth and the third is that moment when the person's name is spoken for the very last time," said Brockett.
By continuing remembrance events, Brockett said, the city hopes to prevent that third death.
Colorado-based blues and gospel singer Hazel Miller brought the room together through song on stage. Phi Bernier, a longtime partner of Suzanne Fountain, played guitar and sang a song he wrote for her.
Three years later, those closest to the Boulder 10 shared their journeys through grief.
"Because my brother was the police officer, I honestly feel like I owe an apology to all of you that there's 10 trees here, that he didn't make it to save everyone," said Kirstin Brooks, sister of Officer Eric Talley.
Talley's coworker, Community Service Officer Mitch Trujillo, shared some words on behalf of Talley's family.
"I will always miss Officer 295, our brother and friend," Trujillo said, fighting back tears.
Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty admitted the criminal case has taken far longer than anyone had hoped. He said even after the criminal case closes, the void left by these 10 individuals will be a part of Boulder's framework forever.
Denver7's Coverage of the Boulder King Soopers Shooting
