On a tragic Halloween morning in Colorado Springs, 34-year-old Christina Rose 'Christy' Baccus-Gallela's life was cut short in a senseless act of violence. On October 31, 2015, a gunman later identified as Noah Jacob Harpham, 33, embarked on a shooting rampage through the city streets. Christy was one of three innocent victims who lost their lives that day.
The ordeal began when Harpham, armed with a rifle and a revolver, first shot and killed a bicyclist, Andrew Alan Myers, 35. He then proceeded less than a mile to a sobriety house where he opened fire on two women who were on the porch. One of these women was Christy Baccus-Gallela. The other victim at this location was Jennifer Michelle Vasquez, 42. At the time of her death, Christy was reportedly studying cosmetology and working as a telemarketer while in recovery from an addiction to painkillers.
The shooter, Noah Harpham, had posted a strange and rambling video online just two days prior to the killings, in which he expressed displeasure with his father's involvement in a particular church. However, the video gave no indication of his violent intentions. Harpham, who had a history of alcoholism, was killed in a subsequent shootout with police, leaving behind a community to mourn the victims of his inexplicable actions. The motive for the random shooting spree remains unclear. Following the tragedy, a vigil was held at Middle Shooks Run Park to honor the lives of Christy Baccus-Gallela, Jennifer Vasquez, and Andrew Myers.
