Ashley Paugh identified as victim in Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub mass shooting
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- During a press conference Monday, the Colorado Springs Police Department identified one of the victims as Ashley Paugh.
KRDO received a statement on behalf of Ashley's family made by Kurt Paugh, her husband.
We’re absolutely devastated by the loss of Ashley. She meant everything to this family, and we can’t even begin to understand what it will mean to not have her in our lives.
Ashley was a loving wife – she was my high school sweetheart – and she was just an amazing mother. Her daughter was her whole world, and she was so proud of Ryleigh, who is a championship swimmer. She loved her dad, her sister, and her family; Ashley was a loving aunt, with many nieces and nephews who are devastated by her loss.
She had a huge heart. I know that Ashley cared about so many people. She helped so many people through her work at Kids Crossing, a nonprofit that helps find loving homes for foster children. She would do anything for the kids – traveling all over southeastern Colorado, from Pueblo and Colorado Springs to Fremont County and the Colorado border, working to raise awareness and encourage individuals and families to become foster parents to children in our community. This included working with the LGBTQ community to find welcoming foster placements for children. During the holidays, Ashley organized giving trees and delivered them to businesses so that foster kids could have brighter holidays – and in fact, she was setting up giving trees even last week, canvassing Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
In addition to her family and making a difference in the community, Ashley loved being outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing, and riding four-wheelers.
We would like to ask that members of the media respect our privacy while we grieve this unbelievable loss; we’re not a family that wishes to be in the spotlight and are not at a place where we can be involved in interviews. This is all the information that we feel comfortable releasing at this time. Please direct any and all media inquiries to our family media liaison, whose information follows below. If we have additional information to share, such as more memories of Ashley or preferences for charitable donations, we will release that information through our family media liaison.
Kurt Paugh, victim's husband
Now, Kurt and so many others are mourning the loss of Ashley and the four others.
