The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) issued the following statement in response to the devastating Denver Area shooting:
It is with a heavy heart that we send our condolences to the families of Alicia Cardenas, Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, Danny Scofield, Michael Swinyard and Sarah Stec who were senselessly murdered in yet another act of violence on December 27, 2021. We send love and strength to Jimmy Maldano and Ashley Ferris who are recovering from wounds and all those who witnessed the violence being carried out. Our community has suffered a devastating loss.
The legacy of the indigenous cultural and healing work of Alicia and Alyssa will live on through the community they have been an active part of. Their healing work through art will continue on in the thousands they worked on as tattoo and piercing artists – that is a legacy itself. The art of tattooing and piercing as a spiritual journey is at the root of indigenous traditions, and we are so lucky as a community to have received the teachings and artwork from these souls. As activists in the community in support of indigenous, immigrant and human rights, we know the devastation of this tragedy on our community. We are eternally grateful for the impact Alicia and Alyssa had in the immigrant rights movement.
We will continue the legacy of the souls we lost by honoring their lives, their work and fighting against the very thing that took their lives. There is no space in our communities for racism, xenophobia, sexism or violence. We stand firmly against those who try to bring that into our communities and will continue to make this state a safe space for all to live in peace and harmony. To our Denver region community, CIRC stands firmly with you as we heal together.