Colorado’s history of mass shootings

In this aerial photograph from a drone, police officers continue their investigation of a shooting at a King Soopers grocery store where multiple people were killed, including a police officer on March 23, 2021, Boulder, Colorado, USA.

In this aerial photograph from a drone, police officers continue their investigation of a shooting at a King Soopers grocery store where multiple people were killed, including a police officer on March 23, 2021, Boulder, Colorado, USA. Photo by Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY

Colorado has a long history of high-profile mass shootings: King Soopers grocery store in Boulder on Monday, Columbine High School in 1999, the Aurora movie theater in 2012. Colorado has more mass shootings per capita than all but four states, according to a 2019 analysis by the Denver Post. 

As these shootings take place, it’s a grave reminder of the need to invest in preventative infrastructure, such as a system where concerned parties can report their observations, and trained professionals can assess threats. That’s all according to Susan Payne, a former law enforcement officer and founder of Colorado’s Safe2Tell program. 

From this Episode:

Credits

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Angie Perrin, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Rosalie Atkinson, Brian Hardzinski, Bennett Purser