In the moments before a gunman leaned on a car to steady his aim at her father, killing him as well as nine others during a 2021 mass shooting at a Colorado supermarket, a fellow shopper loading her groceries next to Erika Mahoney’s dad made him laugh when she teased him about his automatic door closing button.
When the story was retold by Jenny Jacobsen during a trial that ended this week with the shooter found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, it provided Erika Mahoney with some solace during a difficult two weeks focused on what happened that day in the college town of Boulder .
The thought of her father, Kevin Mahoney, having one final moment of joy has provided Erika Mahoney some peace of mind ever since Jacobsen first reached out last year to share the story. It has also led to a bond with Jacobsen, who she calls her “earth angel.”
Erika Mahoney said the story sounded exactly like her father, a retired hotel development executive, who loved everyone and appreciated a good joke.