Boulder community wraps arms around Table Mesa after King Soopers shooting

BOULDER — Masks meant to stop the spread of COVID-19 did little to hide the grief in the faces of the mourners, shoppers and business owners milling around Boulder’s Table Mesa shopping center Tuesday, fewer than 24 hours after a gunman killed 10 people at the King Soopers grocery store there.

There were tearful hugs as flowers were placed against a fence, beyond which crime-scene technicians were still working, blown-out grocery store windows visible across the parking lot. 

Bouquets were also being delivered to the few Table Mesa businesses operating Tuesday. 

“I came in today not knowing what to expect, but I’m not surprised how people are responding,” Abo’s Pizza owner Tyler Porritt told BizWest. “A woman just came in with her two daughters just to give us flowers. All they said was, ‘We’re going to order pizza tonight.’ That gesture right there is the reason why I came in today.”

Next door at Caffe Sole, Revel Gear founder Brian Plavnicky showed appreciation for his local coffee-shop employees with gifts from his camping company, including a portable solar light.

“We just came to support and show our gratitude to those who are still here,” he said. “… We thought a little extra light was needed today.”

Boulder is a tight-knit community and that’s especially true in the corner of the city occupied by Table Mesa.

“I haven’t been able to look at the names or the faces [of the victims] yet,” Porritt said, worried that he might recognize a regular at the pizza shop among the victims.

While business was slow at Table Mesa Tuesday, the area in front of King Soopers was buzzing with locals paying their respects, including artist Stephen Parlato, who stood beside a painting adorned with a pro-gun-control message. 

“It makes me sad and it makes me angry,” Parlato said of Monday’s spurt of violence, allegedly perpetrated by suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa. “… Stop the war on drugs and start the war on guns.”

While Boulder and its business community were rocked by Monday’s killings, the tragedy represents an opportunity for communal healing, Boulder Chamber CEO John Tayer said.

“This has been a tragic loss of life in our community due to a horrendous act of violence,” he said. “This is a moment for our community to come together and offer support for the victims, while recognizing that all of us suffer from this tragedy.”

It’s understandable to be concerned about safety, but “our businesses continue to need your support and your patronage,” Tayer said.

The chamber is working to establish a victim’s assistance fund and “will be identifying strategies to help us overcome this sense of loss of security and help our community heal by coming back together,” he said. 

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