BOULDER, Colo. — Three years have passed since 10 lives were lost and countless more were forever changed by a mass shooting at a Boulder King Soopers.
Ten people were shot and killed inside or outside the Table Mesa King Soopers on March 22, 2021:
- Suzanne Fountain, 59, was a warm and caring woman with a passion for theater, friends and colleagues shared with Denver7. She worked as a financial counselor in the healthcare industry.
- Rikki Olds, 25, was a manager at the Table Mesa Drive King Soopers. Her family said she was a “firecracker” with an infectious giggle, a strong work ethic and an independent spirit.
- Officer Eric Talley, 51, was described by his mother as a man of deep faith, a devoted father of seven children who became a police officer after his friend was killed by a drunk driver.
- Jody Waters, 65, was a staple on the Pearl Street Mall. She used to own a store there and most recently worked at Island Farm, another clothing boutique, friends of hers said.
- Denny Stong, 20, was inside the King Soopers at the time of the shooting. He worked there, but typically at night. According to his coworker, Logan Smith, “His very honest, blunt personality — he would poke fun at you with no remorse but still love you at the same time."
- Tralona Bartkowiak, or as people close to her called her, “Lona,” "Lonna," was the owner of Umba Love, a clothing store she co-owned with her sister, Lisa Noble.
- Neven Stanisic, 23, was the second youngest of the victims in the mass shooting. Stanisic was born in the U.S. after his family fled to America in the late 1990s from the war in former Yugoslavia, leaders at Saint John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Church in Lakewood said.
- Kevin Mahoney, 61, worked in hotel asset management and investments. His daughter, Erika Mahoney, shared the news of her father’s death on Twitter. “My dad represents all things Love. I’m so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer,” she wrote, adding that she was pregnant and that her father knows “he wants me to be strong for his granddaughter.”
- Lynn Murray, 62, was a mother of two and former photo director for Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Glamour, her husband told The New York Times. She had been working for Instacart and was filling an order when the shooting happened. She and her family moved out of New York in 2002 and ended up in Colorado after a stint in Florida
- Teri Leiker, 51, was a longtime worker at King Soopers who had spent more than 30 years with the company. Leiker was a major supporter of the Colorado Buffaloes.
Denver7's Coverage of the Boulder King Soopers Shooting
THE PAINFULLY LONG ROAD TO JUSTICE
Three years later, the case against the alleged shooter still hasn’t gone to trial.
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was arrested the same day he allegedly shot and killed 10 people, including a Boulder police officer, both inside and outside the King Soopers grocery store at 3600 Table Mesa Drive. He has schizophrenia, his defense said, and his case was stalled by several competency hearings.
He was found competent to stand trial in August 2023 and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity three months later.
The defendant currently faces a slew of charges, including 10 counts of first-degree murder, 47 counts of attempted murder, first-degree assault, and six counts of using a large-capacity magazine in a crime, plus multiple crimes of violence.
Several relatives of the victims have filed a lawsuit against gun-maker Sturm, Ruger & Co. over how it marketed the firearm used in the massacre.
Boulder King Soopers Shooting
Boulder strong: A day of remembrance honors the 10 lost
REMEMBERING THE BOULDER 10
The City of Boulder and several organizations are holding a Day of Remembrance event on Friday to honor the 10 lives lost. All are welcome to join in person or via live stream.
The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the eTown Hall, located at 1535 Spruce Street in Boulder. Doors open at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required.
If you cannot attend in person, you can watch the live stream through this link. The event will be recorded.
An important resource born out of the tragedy is the Boulder Strong Resource Center, which offers healing and support services to people most directly impacted by the tragedy. The center serves the community with on-site clinicians and offers referrals for individual therapy, according to its website.
The Boulder Strong Resource Center, which is managed by Mental Health Partners and sponsored by King Soopers, is located at 2935 Baseline Road and can be reached at 303-545-0844.
There is potential for the development of a long-term memorial, though the city said discussions are in the very early stages. The development of a permanent memorial is anticipated to take several years. A tree garden is located in the west corner of the store parking lot to honor the 10 victims.
