Friends and family mourn 10 victims of Boulder grocery store shooting
BOULDER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Loved ones received tragic phone calls early Tuesday morning, confirming their mothers, fathers, nieces, and best friends were killed in Monday's grocery store massacre.
The victims were identified as:
- Denny Stong, 20
- Neven Stanisic, 23
- Rikki Olds, 25
- Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
- Suzanne Fountain, 59
- Teri Leiker, 51
- Eric Talley, 51
- Kevin Mahoney, 61
- Lynn Murray, 62
- Jody Waters, 65
KRDO Newschannel 13 is learning snippets about each victim. It's undoubtedly a small fraction of the lives and legacies they leave behind.
Denny Stong, 20
A former Fairview High School classmate describes Stong as kind and funny with aspirations of becoming a pilot.
Neven Stanisic, 23
Friends and family are planning a memorial service for Stanisic Wednesday.
Rikki Olds, 25
Olds was a manager at King Soopers for six years. She was working as the front-end manager on the day she died.
Her uncle describes her as strong, independent, and bubbly. He said she was the light of the room. Robert Olds and his family watched the scene unfold on live television without being about to reach Rikki.
"Thirteen agonizing hours until 3 a.m. this morning when we got that call," said Olds. "And that was while calling hospitals and calling police departments."
Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
Bartkowiak was affectionately called "Lonna B" by friends. She ran a small business in Boulder, where a tribute is growing outside its doors. Colleagues describe her as having a passion for the arts and being full of love.
Suzanne Fountain, 59
Suzanne Fountain devoted her life to helping others. She was an award-winning member of the theater community from 1988 to 2002. It's where she met her best friend Martha Harmon Pardee.
"She didn’t have an enemy," said Pardee. "She had that beautiful strawberry blonde hair and she just radiated light.”
Pardee said Fountain lived in Broomfield and can't make sense of why she may have been shopping at the King Soopers in Boulder Monday.
“You’re not done. You’re not done," said Pardee. "She wasn’t done. She was so full of life and fun and joy.”
Fountain is survived by her son Nathaniel and a long-term partner.
Eric Talley, 51
A veteran member of the Boulder police department, Officer Eric Talley was the first to arrive and face the shooter Monday.
Officer Talley's actions are described as nothing short of heroic. He is survived by his wife and seven children.
Kevin Mahoney, 61
Grandfather-to-be Kevin Mahoney was 61-years-old when he died at the hands of a shooter in Boulder Monday. His daughter Erika posted a tribute to her father on Twitter Tuesday.
Erika calls her father her hero, adding that she knows he would want her to be strong for his unborn granddaughter.
KRDO Newschannel 13 is still working on learning information and obtaining photos and information on the three other victims: Lynn Murray, Teri Leiker, and Jody Waters.
To help the families of the victims, and the Boulder community, click here.
