Family remembers man killed in shooting in Denver's RiNo district as selfless, a hero

Ginger Kidd says her younger brother Todd Kidd was a man who would do anything for his family and friends.

"He really was selfless. He stood up for people. He was there for people when they needed it, and he seemed to really prioritize that over himself," said Ginger Kidd. "He really was oriented around friendships, community, and being there for his friends and family."

The 49-year-old man who worked in Denver and was originally from Casper, Wyoming, had a passion for playing hockey that carried on throughout his life.

"We know him as a hockey player, most people from his childhood would know him as a hockey player," said Ginger. "There are fans that Todd has from hockey."

In an interview in a family home in Brighton, Ginger shared photos with CBS Colorado of Todd's time playing as a young kid on the hockey team as well as during his time at the University of Denver.

"Definitely hockey was his lifeline. He loved to play it. He loved to watch it. He just loved to be part of the hockey scene," she said.

Lately, Ginger says her brother had developed a hobby for painting striking canvases.

"He knew what he liked and he knew what he didn't like, and he wasn't afraid to say it, and he wasn't afraid to do it," she said.

It was a fearlessness that his family did not expect to end so suddenly.

"These kinds of stories are what you see on the news. They're not the kind of stories you expect to be firsthand involved with," said Ginger.

It was while she was back home in Australia where Ginger learned her brother had been shot outside of Federales Denver on July 10. The restaurant in the RiNo arts district was where he worked for the last year. Ginger made it to Denver just before he died in the hospital two days later.

The alleged shooter, a 14-year-old boy, was arrested this week in Casper, Wyoming, coincidentally the same town in which Ginger and her family grew up in.

"It blows my mind that a 14-year-old can be involved in this," she said, "and this wasn't a targeted situation. This is just a juvenile or juveniles trying to cause mischief, and the fact that they're out trying to cause mischief with that level of weapon, I think there's really something wrong."

While this tragedy remains painful for Todd's family, they also says it's the kind actions from the RiNo community as well as the outpouring of messages from people who knew him that have made it easier to celebrate the life he did live.

"I did not realize he was having such an impact so far and wide on the Denver community," she said. "I've gotten outreach from his 8th grade teacher. I've gotten outreach from his hockey coach when he was 7 years old. It's unbelievable."

With all the support and all the heartwarming stories that have come out about Todd and the influence he had on others, Ginger hopes his death will serve as a wakeup call against gun violence.

"For me it's just solidifying the fact that gun violence is a problem and there needs to be stronger measures to tackle it especially when we're talking about youths that aren't even fully developed getting access to these," said Ginger. "I don't think there's a place for that on the streets of Denver. I don't think there's a place for that anywhere."

Ginger also remains inspired by the legacy he has left, including a kindness and devotion to every community he is now forever a part of.

"Todd died a hero, and he wasn't just a hero because he wrestled that kid to the ground and took a bullet to save others," said Ginger. "He was a hero because he was living it and breathing it every day with that Denver community and, actually, any community, he was in."

A celebration of Kidd's life will be held in Denver at Invisible City on Sunday.