On the evening of November 1, 2017, 66-year-old Carlos Moreno was shopping with his wife and daughter at a Walmart Supercenter in Thornton, Colorado, when his life was unexpectedly cut short. Moreno, who was born in San Antonio, Texas, and had moved to Thornton in 1998, was a beloved family man known for his happy demeanor and caring nature. His friends and family described him as a bundle of energy and laughter, someone who would give you the shirt off his back.
The ordinary evening
turned tragic when a man later identified as Scott Allen Ostrem, then 47, walked into the store and began shooting at people seemingly at random before fleeing the scene. The attack created mass chaos as shoppers rushed to escape. Carlos Moreno and another man, 26-year-old Victor Vasquez, were killed at the scene. A third victim, 52-year-old Pamela Marques, was transported to a local hospital where she later died. The motive for this senseless act of violence remains unknown.
A nationwide manhunt for the suspect ensued, and the day after the shooting, law enforcement arrested Scott Allen Ostrem in Westminster, following a tip from the public. Investigators used surveillance footage from approximately 200 cameras in and around the Walmart to identify Ostrem and his vehicle. It was discovered that Ostrem had abruptly left his job as a sheet metal worker just hours before the incident. His stepsister later revealed that he had suffered from mental health issues for decades.
In October 2018, Scott Ostrem pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder for endangering the 45 other people inside the store. As part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The families of the victims, including Carlos Moreno's, had been unanimous in their desire for this resolution, sparing them the ordeal of a lengthy trial.
