'Uplifting': Community Honors Victims, Welcomes King Soopers Table Mesa Reopening
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- Just weeks short of a year after a gunman killed 10 innocent people inside the Table Mesa King Soopers in Boulder, the store reopened to both tears and joy. On Wednesday, Gov. Jared Polis along with local leaders and hundreds of people, attended a reopening ceremony that began by honoring those killed last spring.
The victims are Denny Strong, Neven Stanisic, Rikki Olds, Tralona Bartkowiak, Suzanne Fountain, Teri Leiker, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, Jody Waters, and Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley.
Instead of cutting the ribbon to signal the reopening, the ribbon was two pieces and tied together to signify the strength, unity and unbreakable spirit of the community.
Polis and King Soopers President Joe Kelly King each highlighted the importance of reopening the store.
At the end of the ceremony, the community, cheerleaders from the Denver Broncos and Denver Nuggets made a human tunnel to usher in the King Soopers employees and welcome them back to work.
"Ah... it feels nice. it's a big part of our community. It's sad too in a way remembering what happened here. But it's important for the healing process," said one customer.
"It's just really uplifting. It's just like today all the speakers. It's really an uplifting place to come," said another customer.