(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs community gathered outside the Citadel Mall on Tuesday, Dec. 26 for a candlelight vigil following the deadly shooting on Christmas Eve, Sunday, Dec. 24.
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said on Monday, Dec. 25 that the person killed in the shooting, and three others who were injured, were part of two groups involved in a fight. However, several people, FOX21 spoke with said the person killed was only trying to break up the fight as a bystander and friends identified the man as Teryus Thomas.
“No arrests have been made in the case and our investigation continues,” Ira Cronin, Public Relations Manager for the Colorado Springs Police Department explained. “We are coming through a good amount of evidence. The female who was transported Sunday night with minor injuries was treated and released, the two males who were transported with gunshot wounds in critical condition, are now stable, and are improving.”
Friends of Thomas said he worked at the Citadel Mall for about a year. They remember their friend as someone with a kind soul who had a positive impact on everybody he met.
“He was a very good person who impacted our community and was well known for his act of kindness and his bravery,” Willie Stevens, a friend of Teryus Thomas said. “Just so everyone knows, this was not a gang-related or active shooter incident. It was just a real good person jumping in, protecting the ones that he loved and unnecessary things happened.”
Sadly police lights and crime scene tape have become a common sight at the Citadel Mall. Data from CSPD shows that last year the Citadel Mall had about 200 calls for service on incidents such as shots fired, assault, robbery, harassment, disturbances, and weapons violations.
“Let’s go ahead and show this in a good light versus it’s just another shooting because it’s not just another shooting,” Shane Brasgalla, a friend of Teryus Thomas explained. “The people involved had real families and they were good people, it wasn’t gang violence or anything, it wasn’t even gang-related.”
Friends of Thomas left candles, incense, and flowers in a flowerbed outside the Dillard’s entrance of the Citadel Mall on Tuesday as a remembrance of Thomas. They are also partnering with Embroidered Expressions located inside the Citadel Mall to create memorial shirts for the victims of the shooting.
