Union President Calls Boulder King Soopers Employees Heroes After Mass Shooting

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This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s April 2021 Industry Newsletter

By Steven Hoffman

Among the 10 community members killed in Boulder, CO, in a mass shooting on March 22 were three employees of King Soopers’ Table Mesa location, the store in which the horrific crime took place. An Instacart shopper also died in the tragic shooting. In a year where workers have served on the front line of a pandemic, the shooting episode served as a stark reminder of the risks retail workers face on the job, reported Business Insider. Yet, when a gunman started shooting at King Soopers’ popular South Boulder location, grocery store employees helped get customers out of harm’s way, said Kim Cordova, President of United Food and Commercials Workers (UFCW) Local 7. In an interview with Denver’s 9News, the local union leader repeatedly used one word to describe the workers: “heroes.” Cordova told 9News, “We know that when they heard gunshots, some of the workers grabbed coworkers, also led customers out to safety through various exits throughout the store, including the back dock and the back area of the store. They work during every manmade or natural disaster, and now, they again stepped up helped save customers and members of the community. They continue to be heroes.” King Soopers announced it will donate $1 million and Instacart is donating $100,000 to the Colorado Healing Fund to help support victims, families and the community in the wake of the shooting.