Names of victims killed in the Aurora theater shooting emerged Saturday, along with details about those who lost their lives. The complete list of names was released by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office Saturday afternoon.
Veronica Moser will always be six years old.
The “vibrant” little girl, who was bragging four days ago about learning how to swim, was one of the 12 people who died in the Aurora theater shooting Friday, said her great aunt Annie Dalton.
“It’s a nightmare right now,” said Dalton.
Ashley Moser, Veronica’s mother, remains in critical condition at Aurora Medical Center. The 25-year-old was shot in the neck, and doctors are unable to remove the bullet. Moser also suffered a gunshot wound in the abdomen. She passes in and out of consciousness, Dalton said, and does not yet know that her daughter has died.
Doctors said that Moser, who was recently accepted to medical school, will hopefully recover with some use of her hands, Dalton said.
Shooting victim Alex Teves recently earned his master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Denver.
Tom Teves, Alex’s father, confirmed his son’s death to ABC News. A message left for Tom Teves by the Denver Post has not been returned.
Friends of Teves, 24, began posting on social media Friday night after learning Teves was among the 12 people killed in the Aurora movie theater shootings.
A friend, identified only as Caitlin on Twitter, posted messages on the social media network early Friday from the Century 16 theater, and wrote on Twitter early Saturday that Teves was, “One of the best men I ever knew. The world isn’t as good a place without him.” She also described Teves as a fan of the University of Arizona and Spider-Man.
An email message to Caitlin has not been returned.
A University of Denver spokeswoman said Teves, from Phoenix, Ariz., graduated in June. An official notice of Teves’ death will be sent to the University of Denver community later Saturday.
Teves’ personal Facebook page lists him as a 2010 graduate of the University of Arizona, and a 2006 graduate of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix.
Jessica Ghawi, 24, grew up a hockey fan in football-crazed Texas.
She followed that passion to Colorado to forge a career in sports journalism. It probably took her to Toronto, where she walked out of a shopping-mall food court moments before a gunman shot seven people.
Writing as Jessica Redfield in a June 5 blog entry, she described how the experience reminded her “how blessed I am for each second I am given.”
Alex Sullivan, 27, was celebrating his birthday. The Sullivan family was notified of his death at 8 p.m. Friday after they had desperately searched for Alex for more than 14 hours, a release from the family said.
“The Sullivan family lost a cherished member of their family today,” a release from the family said. “Alex was smart, funny, and above all loved dearly by his friends and family.”
Matt McQuinn, 27, died saving his girlfriend.
As a gunman calmly walked up the aisle of the Aurora movie theater Friday firing at moviegoers, McQuinn dove on top of Samantha Yowler. Her brother Nick Yowler, 32, also tried to shield her, said Robert L. Scott, attorney for both the McQuinn and Yowler families.
Samantha Yowler, 27, was shot in the knee. Her brother escaped without injury. But McQuinn, from St. Paris, Ohio, was not as fortunate.
McQuinn’s mother Jeri Jackson flew to Colorado Friday as family members in Springfield tried to get information about what happened to McQuinn, according to the Dayton Daily News.
McQuinn’s stepmother, Stacie McQuinn, said the hospital would not tell Yowler, who underwent surgery Friday, about her boyfriend’s condition because the two were not related.
Matt McQuinn graduated from Vandalia-Butler High School in 2004. He met Yowler while the two were working at a Target store in Springfield, according to the Dayton Daily News. In November, the couple transferred to a Target store in Denver, joining Yowler’s brother who had lived in Colorado for the past few years.
Micayla Medek, 23, was called Cayla by her family.
On her Facebook page, Micayla identified herself as a Subway sandwich artist. A graduate of William C. Hinkley High School in Aurora, she said she was a member of the class of 2015 of the Community College of Aurora.
“I’m a simple independent girl who’s just trying to get her life together while still having fun,” she wrote.
John Larimer, a sailor with the U.S. Navy was 27 years old.
“We respectfully ask that the family and friends of John be allowed time and privacy to grieve for John and we send our thoughts and prayers out to the families of the other victims and those still recovering in the hospital. We love you John and we will miss you always,” the family said in a statement
Gateway High School graduate AJ Boik, 18, was being remembered Saturday as a talented and kind man who enjoyed baseball, making pottery and music.
“AJ Boik was a wonderful, handsome and loving 18-year-old young man with a warm and loving heart,” the family said in a statement.
The father of Rebecca Wingo, 32, confirmed his daughter died in the shooting in a post on his Facebook page.
Steve Hernandez wrote, “I lost my daughter yesterday to a mad man, my grief right now is inconsolable, I hear she died instantly, without pain, however the pain is unbearable.”
Friends said Saturday that Wingo’s parents also posted a message about Wingo’s death on Wingo’s own Facebook page. That page shows a picture of two young girls.
A friend, Gail Riffle, brought two teddy bears, one pink and one white, to the memorial site near the movie theater for Wingo’s daughters, as well as roses for Wingo’s parents.
“Everybody is hurting right now,” Riffle said. “She was a gentle, sweet, beautiful soul.”
Wingo listed Joe’s Crab Shack as her employer on Facebook, and a manager at the restaurant in Aurora confirmed Wingo worked there. He deferred comment to the restaurant’s corporate office, which is closed on Saturday.
Jon Blunk, 26, was shot to death in the Aurora theater while trying to protect his girlfriend, according to NBC News.
Blunk’s estranged wife, Chantel Blunk, who lives in Reno, Nev., with their two kids, told NBC News that she was notified of his death by the FBI.
Jansen Young, 21, who was in the theater with Blunk, declined to discuss details of the shooting with the Post, saying she was “trying to work through it.”
When asked if Blunk had shielded her from gun fire, she replied: “Yes, he did.”
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Jesse Childress, a 29-year-old Air Force reservist, lived in Thornton, and was one of two victims stationed at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora.
The base released a statement Saturday:
“This tragic event has affected everybody here at Buckley Air Force Base and our local community friends and neighbors,” base commander Col. Daniel Dant said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of each and every loved one.”
According to the Air Force Reserve Command, Childress worked as a cyber systems operator and was currently on active duty.
Gordon W. Cowden, 51 of Aurora, Colorado, was the oldest of the victims killed.
His family released this statement:
“Loving father, outdoorsman and small business owner, Cowden was a true Texas gentleman that loved life and his family. A quick witted world traveler with a keen sense of humor, he will be remembered for his devotion to his children and for always trying his best to do the right thing, no matter the obstacle.”
Cowden had taken his two teenage children to the theater the night of the shooting. The teenagers escaped unharmed.
A spokeswoman said the family “wishes to express appreciation for the concern and prayers offered us during this very difficult time. Our hearts go out to everyone that has been harmed by this senseless tragedy.
The family respectively requests privacy as we cope with the loss of our loved one. Thank you for understanding that we will not be granting interviews or speaking to members of the media. Again, our thoughts and prayers are with all who are suffering due to this tragic event.”
If you know one of the victims of the shooting and would like to share their story, contact us at newsroom@denverpost.com or 303-954-1201
