Boulder Shooting: The Victims
BOULDER, Colo. — Ten people lost their lives when a gunman entered the Table Mesa King Soopers on March 22 and opened fire.
The victims ranged in age from 20 to 65 years old.
This is who we lost:
Denny Stong, 20 years old
The youngest victim, Stong graduated from Fairview High School two years ago. A classmate told The Colorado Sun that Stong was kind, helpful, and always nice to teachers.
Stong’s friends told The Denver Post that Stong was passionate about model airplanes, motorcycles, and firearms.
“He liked a lot of stuff no one else was interested in, and that’s what caught peoples’ attention,” Stong’s friends Bianca Porter told the Denver Post. “I know that when everything was going down, he was trying his best to help out.”
Neven Stanisic, 23 years old
Stanisic was the son of Serbian refugees who came to the United States from Bosnia in the 1990s.
Rev. Radovan Petrovic of Saint John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Church in Lakewood told The Colorado Sun that Stanisic “very loving and well-mannered, and a hard-working boy.”
Stanisic’s family released the following statement on March 25, three days after his death:
“The Stanisic family wishes to express its gratitude for all the support and kindness extended by friends, neighbors and the family’s church, as well as by local authorities, including the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office. They also thank the broader Serbian community across the country and beyond for reaching out to them in this time of need.
We express our deepest condolences to other families of the innocent victims.
Neven’s funeral will be this weekend — however, services are open only to family members, parishioners and those close to the family. The family respectfully but firmly requests that no news media attend.
The family further requests that news media do not attempt to contact or approach family members in general until further notice. The family has been bombarded by media requests and urgently needs time away from the public.
Parishioners have united in prayer for the Stanisic family and have set up a memorial in front of their church, where people can bring candles, pray and pay respect to Neven. We graciously request that this weekend and its events be left to the family.”
Rikki Olds, 25 years old
Those who knew Olds best described the King Soopers store manager as independent, energetic, and vibrant.
Her uncle, Bob Olds, said he never knew what color hair his niece would come home with, or if she was going to have a new tattoo. “But that was Rikki,” he said, “and Rikki lived life on Rikki’s terms. Not anybody else’s terms. And her life was cut short, unfortunately, by the events of the other day.”
Olds’ coworker Carlee Lough said that Olds was known for dancing along to the music at King Soopers, and for possessing an uncanny ability to calm down angry shoppers.
Read more about Olds’ life here.
Tralona Bartkowiak, 49 years old
According to The New York Times, Bartkowiak ran a Boulder store called Umba that sells yoga and festival clothing. Her sister owns the store
Bartkowiak was the oldest of four siblings. Born in California, she moved to Boulder in 2002.
Her brother Michael described her as a “beam of light.”
Suzanne Fountain, 59 years old
Fountain was a house manager at eTown Hall, a solar-powered events center in downtown Boulder.
“Suzanne was a bright light to all she met, and we were proud to have her represent eTown in our community as she welcomed people into our space hundreds and hundreds of times. This is an unfathomable loss for all of us and a painful reminder that our society can and must do a better job to prevent these acts of violence from becoming normalized in our culture. This is heartbreaking,” eTown wrote on their Facebook page.
Fountain was also an actress who was in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theater Company in the early 90s.
Teri Leiker, 51 years old
Leiker was an employee at King Soopers. She worked there since May 23, 1989, and “ was proud to have been there so long,” her family said in a statement.
“She smiled at her customers and tried to share her happiness with them. She loved her job, customers and co-workers,” her family wrote. “In 31 years she was absent from work only due to minor health issues. She called her mom every day when she got home from work to let her know she was safe.”
Leiker, a Special Olympics athlete and huge CU football fan, was diagnosed with cognitive disabilities when she was three years old. Her family said it never stopped her.
You can read their full statement here.
On April 9 at 11 a.m., Leiker's family is holding a celebration of life and reception at the CU Events Center in Boulder.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests donations in Teri’s name to the following:
- A College of Music Advisory Board member donated $10,000 to start the Teri Leiker Memorial Marching Band Scholarship to be granted to a student with tons of school spirit to honor Teri’s passion for CU. If after six months $25,000 or more is raised, Teri’s scholarship will be endowed. Donate here.
- Teri was an 11-year participant in CU’s Best Buddies program which creates one-on-one friendships between students and members of the community with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Donate here.
Teri was a long-time participant in Special Olympics. Donate here. - Via Mobility transported Teri thousands of times to and from her job at King Soopers. Donations can be made here.
- Imagine Colorado provides support services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and helped Teri throughout her life. Donate here.
Eric Talley, 51 years old
Officer Talley, a father of seven children, had been with the Boulder Police Department since 2010. He was the first officer on scene of the shooting, and lost his life in the attack.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said Talley’s response to the scene saved lives.
President Joe Biden called him the “definition of an American hero.”
On March 22, a procession took Talley’s body away from the scene, and a memorial was established in front of the police station.
I am heartbroken to announce that my Dad, my hero, Kevin Mahoney, was killed in the King Soopers shooting in my hometown of Boulder, CO. My dad represents all things Love. I'm so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer. pic.twitter.com/SLS2bdm5Hc
— Erika Mahoney (@MahoneyEb) March 23, 2021
Kevin Mahoney, 61 years old
Mahoney was her daughter’s hero.
Erika Mahoney, news director for KAZU public radio in California, shared on Twitter that her father was a victim in the shooting. He was about to become a grandfather, she said.
Speaking to NPR, Erika said Kevin was like a “dad to the entire neighborhood” where he lived in Boulder.
Erika’s full interview with NPR’s Noel King is available here.
Lynn Murray, 62 years old
According to The Denver Post, Murray was a former photo director who worked for preeminent fashion magazines in New York City like Glamour, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan.
“She was the most beautiful person I ever met,” Murray’s daughter Mackenzie told The Denver Post. “She is the warmest, kindest, most positive person.”
“She was an amazing woman, probably the kindest person I’ve ever known,” her husband, John, said.
At the time of her death, Murray was fulfilling a grocery shopping order for Instacart, which she “enjoyed doing to help people since her retirement,” according to the Times.
Jody Waters, 65 years old
Waters, a longtime resident of Boulder, used to own women’s and children’s clothing store Applause on on Pearl Street Mall.
Her family released the following statement:
“It has been comforting and heartwarming to hear the impact that our mom had on so many people throughout her life. But it’s not surprising; she was extremely compassionate, humble, empathetic, and a truly selfless person. For those of you who didn’t get the opportunity to meet Jody Waters, you only know her as the victim of the worst kind of evil. To us, she was Mom, she was Grandma, and she was a friend to everyone she met.
Many people knew our mom through her clothing stores that she owned in Boulder and Denver for more than 23 years. She was a task master, creative, led by example, and had an unmatched work ethic – yet she always had time for others. Personal relationships were everything to her. She was the person who was always there when you needed help, support, or just a listening ear. She had a truly unique ability to connect with people. Honestly, it was sometimes hard to go places with her because inevitably, she would get pulled into deep conversations with people – stranger or friend – who were lucky enough to cross her path.
Although very outgoing, our mom stayed out of the spotlight. She gave so much to others but did so quietly and without any need for recognition or reciprocation. You could often find her hiking in Boulder with her two rescue dogs. Central to all was her family to whom she dedicated her life – two daughters Alex and Channing, son-in-law Corey, her lifelong friend and former spouse Chuck, and most recently, her young grandson Everett, who she called the “light of her life.” We will miss her deeply. As a family, we would appreciate our privacy as we mourn the loss of a life taken far too soon.”