Members of the Boulder community honor the 10 killed in King Soopers mass shooting
Flowers, candles and other memorabilia are placed outside the fences surrounding the crime scene to pay tribute to the 10 people killed.
By Hannah Prince and Elizabeth Weiler
In the wake of the mass shooting at King Soopers in Table Mesa, members of the Boulder community gathered on Tuesday, March 23 to honor the 10 people killed and all those affected.
Law enforcement blocked off the parking lot with fences and caution tape printed with “Police Line Do Not Cross,” as the investigation is ongoing.
That did not stop members of the community from being present; they began a memorial.
Boulder resident Candice Brown clearly recalls the shooting from Monday, March 22. “I received a call from my husband and he said, ‘Where are the kids? Are the kids okay? There was a shooting at King Soopers,’” said Brown.
The public, including Brown and her husband, became aware of the shooting at Boulder’s Table Mesa King Soopers at 2:49 p.m. when Boulder PD tweeted the alert. Yet, it wasn’t until the morning following at the press conference that Brown heard the loss of someone she knew – Teri Leiker, 51.
“We just found out when they announced the names this morning,” said Brown. “She was the loveliest, kindest, most loving woman; she was always very sweet to my children when they were babies and toddlers.” Brown lives behind King Soopers and raised her children in the area.
“We have an amazing community, we’re, we’re blessed with that,” said Brown. “We imagine being in the situation. When you know the place and the people, it makes it that much more close. It could have been any of us.”
Many who came to King Soopers live just minutes away from where the shooting occured. For some, a visit to King Soopers is a part of their weekly routine.
“My husband shops here and he works right down the street,” said Laura Masterson who was accompanied by her 9-year-old son. “It’s just too close to home; you know, we live not but six minutes from here.”
The Colorado shooting is the seventh mass shooting in seven days in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive. GVA defines a mass shooting as any incident in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter. These incidents are likely to induce discussion about gun control legislation, as already mentioned by President Joe Biden in his speech and remarks about the Boulder shooting.
For Masterson, the reality of violence and mass shootings is not an easy conversation to explain to her 9-year-old son, who attends a nearby elementary school by Foothills and Baseline Rd.
“My husband was like, ‘He’s too young.’ He’s not too young. He needs to know; he needs to understand that these kinds of dangers are out there and that we have to be very vigilant and have to be super aware,” said Masterson. “I don’t want to teach him about the evils in the world but unfortunately it’s a world we live in, where it’s just so common.”
She mentioned it was the first time she openly discussed such issues with him, and she brought him to the March 23 gathering to teach lessons on empathy and compassion. Together, the Masterson’s hung sunflowers on the fence.
“I want him to understand that even though these people were not members of our immediate family, somebody lost somebody yesterday and it’s absolutely devastating,” she said.
Behind the fences and caution tape were law enforcement officers, including the FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Asset protection officer of King Soopers Norman Suazo assisted in organizing where Boulder members could place flowers and memorial homage, creating a contrast between the horrors of the previous day and the following unity of a grieving community.
BPD, FBI and CBI were present at the scene as the investigation is ongoing.
