DENVER — The man accused of shooting and killing his Thornton Top Golf co-worker last month appeared to laugh after the shooting, according to a witness in a newly released affidavit.
Victor Salazar-Guarache, 26, a former dishwasher at the Thornton Top Golf location, is accused of shooting and killing his co-worker, Bryce Holden, 22, in the parking lot as the victim left work on Dec. 23 at around 12:50 a.m.
According to the affidavit, Salazar-Guarache left work early for an unknown reason the night of Dec. 22. About an hour later, as Holden and his manager walked out of the business at the end of their shifts, Salazar-Guarache allegedly got out of his parked car and shot Holden several times. The manager escaped injury.
A Lyft driver who was picking up a passenger at the Top Golf location at the time of the shooting told police that he witnessed Salazar-Guarache allegedly laughing as the suspect returned to his car after the shooting, according to the affidavit.
After returning to his car, Salazar-Guarache fled the scene but was located and arrested about two hours later on Interstate 25, the affidavit read. He was questioned by police but refused to talk without a lawyer present, so information on a possible motive was not available in the affidavit.
The suspect is facing several charges including first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. He appeared in court Tuesday for an arraignment hearing.
Top Golf issued a statement after the Dec. 23 incident, saying in part that they are “shocked and heartbroken by the incident that occurred in our Thornton venue parking lot, and we grieve for those impacted by this senseless act.”
The Thornton golfing venue closed for about a week as they offered grief counseling to their employees, Top Golf said in a statement.
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