New Information On Pueblo Explosion Victims

By Josh Simeone J.Simeone@krdo.com

PUEBLO – NEWSCHANNEL 13 is learning more about the eight victims of an explosion in Pueblo.

The explosion, which destroyed the Branch Inn on South Union Street in Pueblo Thursday afternoon, sent eight victims to the hospital. It killed one person, 22-year-old Ashley Johnson.

NEWSCHANNEL 13 talked with Johnson’s friends, co-workers and family one day after her death.

The 22-year-old was removed from rubble and taken to a local hospital, where she died, around 90 minutes after the explosion. She worked in the salon next door, “A Classic Boutique.”

Friends describe her as a driven person who always walked around with a smile on her face.

A Colorado native, Johnson graduated from Centennial High School in Pueblo in2003. She was involved in clubs and had many friends according to people who knew her. A co-worker tells NEWSCHANNEL 13 Johnson worked at the salon part time, and was aiming for a career in nursing.

Her family was unable to go into specifics about Johnson’s life. We did ask her sister how she was doing, and she told us her family is doing okay.

Several other victims remain hospitalized, one of them in critical condition. Another victim, Jenny Flower, underwent surgery at a Denver hospital on Friday. Flower was one of Johnson’s close friends.