BOULDER, Colo. — The events that took place inside the Table Mesa King Soopers one year ago live fresh in the minds of friends and family who lost their loved ones.
“As hard as it is, sometimes I remember every detail,” said Logan Smith who was close friends with Denny Stong, the youngest victim of the tragedy.
Smith was working as a barista inside the store at the time of the shooting. He says over time, he built a strong relationship with Stong.
“He was dedicated to anything he ever believed in," Smith said. "He was on his way to getting his pilot's license. He was on his way to getting his motorcycle license. He was dedicated to anything, and that is an aspect of his character that I valued and respected so much.”
Smith was also one of the last people to see Stong, who came in to work on his day off.
“When I came back from my break, I came to the Starbucks and he was there," Smith recalled. "He came back from shooting up in the mountains with our friend, and I served him coffee. I made him his favorite four shot combo macchiato and handed it off to him, and then while he's walking down the middle of the store is when the shooting happened."
Smith hasn't been able to forget those terrifying moments.
“It definitely makes it harder to accept it because it makes me question, like, if it happened to him, like why didn't happen to me?” he said.
In addition to the many personal reflections that occurred Tuesday, there were also many public gatherings to mourn and reflect.
The city held its Boulder Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Boulder Central Park. Olivia Mackenzie, whose mother died during the shooting, sat quietly in front row and later spoke with Denver7 about her mother's legacy.
“I miss knowing that she is a phone call away," Mackenzie said. "I miss everything about her. I miss her ease, I miss how she made me feel. She was my best friend."
Her mother, Lynn Murray, was filling an Instacart order when she was shot inside the store.
“We just never knew this could even happen. We had no idea. There was no gut feeling, there was no intuition. This just took our breath away,” said Mackenzie.
Mackenzie also recalled her mother's humble spirit and care for others.
"My mom was the coolest cat around. She was... she was so laid back. She was so sweet. She was so kind, so hard working and so humble," she said. "I mean, she had done so many incredible things in her life, and you just wouldn't even know. She was just cool about it. She had no ego."
A moment of silence was held across all King Soopers stores Tuesday afternoon — a small but meaningful sign of remembrance.
For both Smith and Mackenzie, it’s crucial to never forget.
“I think the most, the most important thing is to remember the people," said Smith. "Don't dwell on the event that happened, but remember the people as who they were."
