Two men dead in shooting at Walmart in Thornton

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Two men are dead after a shooting inside the Walmart Super Center at 9901 Grant St. in Thornton, police confirmed Wednesday night.

They said an adult woman was transported to a hospital from the scene.

Hundreds of emergency responders ringed the Thornton Town Center shopping center for hours after the shooting was reported about 6:30 p.m. “Multiple parties” down, Thornton police said in a tweet.

An hour later, the Thornton Police Department tweeted “at this time this is not an active shooter.”

Just after 9 p.m., Thornton police tweeted that detectives were reviewing security footage and witnesses were being interviewed to help develop information for “suspect(s) desc/info.”

The Thornton Town Center is a big-box shopping center that backs to Interstate 25 south of 104th Avenue. It includes several other retailers, including The Home Depot. It’s also the location of a Cinebarre theater and McDonald’s.

People who had been in the store flooded the parking lot of the Golden Corral restaurant, overlooking the shopping center from the south. Others looked down on the Walmart waiting for news of their loved ones.

Aaron Stephens, 44, was in the self-checkout line at Walmart when he heard a single shot fired then more bursts of gunfire. He said customers started screaming and running for the exits.

“I was scared,” Stephens said. “I feared for my life.”

Stephens, who has lived in Thornton for 20 years, said he saw someone being taken into custody after the shooting.

Brandon Bonney said he received a call from his brother, Edward, from inside the store. “Bro, I’m inside Walmart, and there’s a shooting here,” he said.

Brandon said he told his brother to “just get somewhere and hide.” Edward started crying and Brandon told him to put his phone on silent and to stay calm. He said he hadn’t heard from Edward since.

Jay Quawrn Thompson, 18, was working in the back of the Walmart when he heard gunshots and then saw a woman running toward him screaming.

“A lady came running back, screaming about the shots. I got her out, ” said Thompson, who just started work at the store a month ago.

Together they ran out of the back of the store and then sat down and waited for help. Police stopped to make sure they were OK and then told them to get to safety.

Thompson was standing in the parking lot of the Golden Corral with no coat when Manny Colmenero stopped and asked if he was cold. When the teenager said yes, Colmenero took off his own coat and gave it to Thompson — and told him to keep it.

Colmenero, whose wife works for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, talked about shootings that have dominated the news here and abroad.

“You see this stuff everywhere now,” he said. “We got to help each other out.”

Police warned people in the area to stay away from the shopping center. Streets leading to the area were blocked by emergency vehicles and police officers armed with long guns standing at intersections.

This story will be updated.

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