BOULDER, Colo. — The gunman who took the lives of ten people at a Boulder King Soopers in 2021 faced his victims’ families in court on Monday.
The 25-year-old shooter was convicted Monday on all charges, including 10 counts of first-degree murder, for the March 22, 2021, mass shooting at the Table Mesa King Soopers in Boulder.
He was sentenced to ten consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
"I think more than anything, what matters today is that justice has finally been done in this case, and it’s just on the criminal case. The victims will forever carry with them the loss, but today we bring what has been a really painful chapter in the criminal court to an end - to its rightful end," Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said during a press conference Monday.
Boulder King Soopers Shooting
Boulder King Soopers mass shooting gunman sentenced to life in prison
The following ten people were killed in the shooting.
- 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.
Friends and family members of the ten victims spoke at the podium before Judge Ingrid Bakke handed down her sentence, which included an additional 48 years on each attempted murder charge.
The sister of Neven Stanisic said, "Neven is not just another statistic of people who have lost their lives in a mass shooting. Neven was also a person. Neven had a life that he loved. He had people who he cherished and things he loved.”
The daughter of Kevin Mahoney said, "I pictured myself in court speaking to the shooter. What I wanted to say, amazingly, is the same thing as I want to say today, and that is: I wish the young man behind the gun had received more love in his life, because then maybe none of this would have happened."
The mother of Tralona Bartkowwiak said, “I cry because I want her back. My entire family will never be the same. We mourn and continue to mourn. There's always emptiness that is unspoken. They say time heals all wounds, but not this one. Time has only helped us to learn how to control our emotions for longer periods of time.”
The mother of Rikki Olds had the following statement read in court:
“You have taken Rikki Olds from me. You have taken a very precious and loving person. Rikki grew to become a very hard working and independent young woman, working and pursuing her goals. Rikki brought joy and laughter to our family, but all that ended on March 22, 2021, when you murdered her. We never knew what color Rikki's hair would be or what new tattoo or piercing she would have. Rikki's smile would light up the room, and because of your actions, we no longer get to experience those things or see Rikki again. … You have been judged by the judicial judicial system, but you will ultimately answer to a higher power, and you will pay for what you have done. I hope when you are sitting in your cell, you are tormented and haunted by what you did to all the victims. I hope you rot in hell.”
The mother of Denny Stong had the following statement read in court.
“I lost nine people I knew and worked with that day. The hardest was my son, Denny Stong. He was on his way to being a pilot. He was going to fly us everywhere. The defendant shot him in the back. The defendant is a coward.”
The daughter of Lynn Murray said, “My mom was a strong woman. Strong in a way where you could sense she cared, the feeling of love in her heart with every step she took, every word she spoke. And those lucky to remember what it was like being in her presence, recall feeling disembodied by love - and not in a gushy way - in a way that makes you feel safe, seen, heard and loved. She had no judgment, she had no ego. She was just my cool mom.
The mother of Teri Leiker said, "We want the shooter to know this murder has changed us. We will never be the same. We will never get over losing her, especially in such a horrible way.”
A statement from Jody’ Waters' daughters read:
“There are no words for today, except that she was too good for this world, someone so real, so pure, so loving, so selfless, compassionate and kind. The only thing that could take our mom down was someone else's hurt and anger. I hope she is free. We love you and miss you so much, mom.”
Family of Suzanne Fountain had the following statement read in court:
“Suzanne Fountain was a really incredible person by all accounts. She was amazing, wonderful and talented. And we've been, I've been - we've been - denied the privilege of ever meeting Suzanne Fountain because of the defendant. She had an incredible impact in the community, her family, and it's a true loss for them and for this entire community that she was killed on March 22, 2021.”
The father of Eric Talley said, “As I learned more details about what had happened, my heart began to fill with the substance, much like used mortar, oil, thick and black, my heart was filled with hate, anger, revenge and even murder. In the Bible, God does not ask us to forgive our enemies. He doesn't suggest we forgive our enemies. He commands us to forgive our enemies, and by any metric, the convicted is my enemy. But forgiveness does not override justice, and justice does not exclude forgiveness. They can and do coexist, but justice is a matter of law and forgiveness is a matter of the heart.”
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