University of Colorado-Boulder student Megan Dierker has been identified by her family as the sole survivor of last week’s double murder-suicide in Fort Collins that claimed the life of her best friend on her birthday.
Dierker, 21, had traveled to Fort Collins on Wednesday to celebrate the 22nd birthday of Savannah McNealy, who was her childhood friend and former schoolmate.
Police say on Thursday morning, McNealy’s boyfriend, Air Force Staff Sgt Michael Zamora, 30, opened fired inside an apartment near the Colorado State University campus, killing the birthday girl and his friend Tristian Kemp, 26, injuring Dierker and ultimately turning the gun on himself.
Survivor: Megan Dierker (left) has been identified by her family as the sole survivor of last week’s double murder-suicide in Colorado that killed her friend Savannah McNealy (right)
Michael Zamora, 30 (left), has been identified as the gunman who shot and killed his girlfriend – Colorado State University student Savannah McNealy, 22 (right) – and best friend Tristian Kemp, 26, before turning the gun on himself
Dierker’s father, Chris, released a video statement to CBS Denver on Sunday, saying his daughter has undergone three surgeries since the shooting and was expected to recover.
He also expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the shooting, including Zamora, and thanked first responders for helping save his daughter.
Megan is currently being treated at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.
By early Monday morning, Dierker has apparently regained enough strength to go on social media and post a tribute to her slain friend Savannah McNealy: ‘my beautiful, beautiful Sav. I will miss you more with every second that passes. rest in paradise, my love.’
Chris Dierker (left) released a video statement on Sunday saying his daughter Megan (right) has so far undergone three surgeries
Dierker is a senior at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she studies psychology and pre-health
The message was accompanied by a selfie of the two friends.
She then followed up with two more photos featuring the 22-year-old victim.
Dierker is a senior at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she studies psychology and pre-health, according to a statement released by the university.
‘Megan is in our thoughts in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy,’ CU Chancellor Philip DiStefano said in the statement. ‘We hope that she makes a full recovery and is able to rejoin us on the Boulder campus when she is ready.’
Police in Fort Collins have not released a motive but called the deadly shooting an ‘ambush’ that was carried out at 2am Thursday as the three victims and the gunman were socializing before the killing.
McNealy and Kemp, who was a veteran, were both shot multiple times while Zamora died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
McNealy and Zamora (left and right) were in a relationship since at least May of this year. Zamora was a resident of Fort Collins, but was a staff sergeant based at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming
Fort Collins Police Chief Terry Jones said the three victims had been dropped off by a Lyft at the apartment complex before the shooting. Zamora was not with them
Fort Collins Police Chief Terry Jones told The Denver Post that the three victims had been dropped off by a Lyft at the apartment complex at 720 City Park Avenue before the shooting.
Zamora had been out with the victims but did not ride home with them. The shooting started just after they got home.
McNealy – who had just turned 22 the night of the shooting – was wrapping up a night of birthday festivities.
Police recovered two rifles and a handgun registered to Zamora at the scene.
According to Tristian Kemp’s uncle, Thomas Perez, the men had traveled to Colorado so that Zamora could visit his girlfriend (pictured together)
Perez also said that Zamora served in the Air Force in Afghanistan with Kemp (pictured, with his mother). He added that the two also worked together at the same company in California
Pictures from the crime scene show a shotgun on the ground outside the apartment where the shooting happened
Bullets holes were also noted on this car in the apartment complex parking lot
McNealy and Zamora had been in a relationship since at least May of this year. A love triangle between the two victims and Zamora has not been ruled out yet as a motive.
Zamora was a resident of Fort Collins, but was a staff sergeant based at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, reported ABC Denver.
Tristian Kemp’s uncle, Thomas Perez, told Fox Denver that Zamora served in the Air Force in Afghanistan with Kemp. He added that the two also worked together at the same company in California.
According to Perez, Kemp was currently living in Hawaii but the men had traveled to Colorado so that Zamora could visit his girlfriend.
‘I can say this much about my nephew, he was an American hero. He proudly served the United States and the people. When he got out of the Air Force, he continued to serve as a civilian,’ he said.
McNealy was studying liberal arts, art and art history and planned to graduate in December. She also was a designer for CSU Life, a monthly campus publication
McNealy was studying liberal arts, art and art history. She also was a designer for CSU Life, a monthly campus publication.
CSU, a public university with more than 33,000 students about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Denver.
Yellow police tape cordoned off a parking area outside a drab gray apartment building in the City Park neighborhood, a residential area that abuts the university’s 590-acre campus. Many students and faculty live in the neighborhood.
Blood pools were seen on one sidewalk in the apartment complex. Investigators seemed to be focusing their efforts on the area of the blood pools and a vehicle in the parking lot.
Darren Rutz, a former CSU student who lives near the scene, told The Rocky Mountain Collegian he was awakened by a woman’s call for help, followed by gunfire.
‘It seemed like quite a few gunshots to me,’ Rutz said.
Residents in the apartment complex say they were woken up by the sound of gunshots and then a woman screaming for help
After the gunshots were heard, CSU officials sent out a text message to students, warning them to stay inside
Grief counselors tended to students and others at an on-campus student center on Thursday
Another resident, Matthew Litton, told the Reporter-Herald that he was lying in bed when he heard multiple gunshots.
‘I could tell from the consistency of the firing that it wasn’t fireworks, it was gunshots. I heard a girl yelling, ‘Call 911!’ After that, I heard one last bang, and then it was quiet,’ he said.
Litton said he also saw a photo taken by a friend, showing two bodies lying on the sidewalk with a pistol between them.
Grief counselors tended to students and others at an on-campus student center.
‘We are deeply saddened by this terrible loss to our campus community and will share more information as we have it,’ the university said in an email to students and staff.
Anyone with information about the shooting is being asked to call Detective Tessa Jakobsson at 970-221-6575.