UCCS student mourns the loss of her friend, a victim of the double homicide on campus
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Emotions are high for the entire Mountain Lion community at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Sunday, KRDO13 spoke with a friend of Samuel Knopp, a UCCS student who was taken from the community in a shooting on Friday morning.
"It's just hard to sit with," says Kaylynn Harrell, a junior at UCCS, mourning the loss of her friend and classmate.
Sunday, Colorado Springs Police identified Knopp and 26-year-old Celie Rain Montgomery as the victims in Friday's double homicide on campus.
"We kind of knew the day of that it was him. We knew what room he was living in and where everybody was investigating. So, we kind of knew at the beginning, and that was hard for all of my roommates. We didn't know what to think or what to do," Harrell said.
Police say Montgomery was a visitor to UCCS. The University says Knopp was a senior studying music and a beloved member of the visual and performing arts department.
"He was an extremely talented individual and he had so much going for him. He was extremely bubbly and so kind. He could talk about anything with anybody for hours, said Harrell.
Police say both victims were found with at least one gunshot wound. Police have not released any information about a potential suspect only stating that their investigation remains ongoing.
Harrell says she's been scared all weekend. She opted to stay on campus, while many other students strayed away from campus this weekend.
"Everybody's going to be scared. A lot of my friends are going home and staying there probably for the rest of the week," Harrell said.
While grieving the loss of her friend, she has found ways to cope with the tragedy.
"I got through a lot of things by myself singularly, and I think having the alone time will help me," Harrell said.
Colorado Springs Police have stated these murders were an isolated incident, adding that it is not a random attack against the school of other students at the university.
The families of the victims are asking for privacy, as they mourn the loss of their loved ones.
