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‘It’s Just Overwhelming’: Family Of Boulder Shooting Victim Rikki Olds Speaks About Her Life, Community Support

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The family of Rikki Olds, one of the ten victims who died in the Monday shooting at King Soopers in Boulder, spoke out about the “overwhelming” support from the community and Rikki’s life.

Robert Olds, Rikki’s uncle, first offered condolences to Officer Eric Talley’s family during a Wednesday press conference. Talley was an officer with the Boulder Police Department who was one of the victims killed in the shooting Monday.

Olds referred to Talley as a “true hero” who “saved lives.” “Just a great police officer, and a great man,” he said. “And sending mine and my family’s heartfelt condolences to his family.”

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“On behalf of my family we can’t thank the community and everybody for their overwhelming support that we have gotten,” Olds continued. “Rikki was truly special to us. She was vibrant, she was bubbly. Rikki was kind of the light of our family.”

Olds said that Rikki would show up at the house with different color hair and new tattoos, and “that was Rikki.” Her original dream was to work as a nurse. But her plans changed when she started working her new dream job as a manager at King Soopers. Olds described her as a “workaholic” who “cherished” her time spent with her family.

“Rikki lived life on Rikki’s terms, not on anybody else’s terms,” her uncle said. “And her life was cut short, unfortunately, by the events the other day.” (RELATED: Barista At Boulder Grocery Store Hid His 69-Year-Old Coworker Under A Trashcan During Shooting)

Rikki Olds was 25 when she died. She has a little brother, whom her uncle said is taking her death really hard. Robert Olds’ parents considered Rikki to be like a daughter because they helped raise her.

“I’m saddened that she didn’t get to experience motherhood,” Olds said. “She didn’t get to experience marriage. She didn’t get to experience a lot of the stuff that we get to experience in life, and I’m saddened for her, and I’m saddened for all the rest of the victims.”

“There’s a hole in our family that won’t be filled … it’s tough,” Olds added.