ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — It has been one year since good Samaritan John Hurley made the ultimate sacrifice when he intervened in the Olde Town Arvada shooting and “likely disrupted what could have been a larger loss of life.”
There will be a moment of silence on Tuesday at the Olde Town Arvada square at 1:37 p.m. It will be led by the Johnny Hurley Foundation.
Memorial in Arvada
A memorial will be placed in front of the Arvada Police Department entrance at City Hall on Tuesday.
“This location has the best visibility for our APD team members and will help bolster their spirits as they navigate this challenging time,” Mayor Marc Williams said.
On Monday, City of Arvada Mayor Marc Williams released the following statement:
“June 21, 2021 will forever be etched into the memory of the City of Arvada. On that day, our peaceful community was shocked by the actions of an evil, murderous shooter who caused the loss of two men. The Arvada Police lost a valued and beloved officer, Officer Gordon Beesley. And we also lost a heroic good Samaritan, Johnny Hurley, who most likely saved lives that day with his selfless actions.
In the days after June 21st, we took solace in our community coming together to honor Officer Beesley and Johnny Hurley. The Arvada Police Department and the City team were moved by the outpouring of support from our community. That is the Arvada way – to come together during tough times. As we approach the anniversary of these tragic losses, we know many in our community want to come together to honor these two heroes.
We invite the community to pay their respects to Officer Beesley by visiting a memorial that is placed in front of the APD entrance at City Hall. This location has the best visibility for our APD team members and will help bolster their spirits as they navigate this challenging time.
The Arvada community lost two great men last year: Officer Gordon Beesley and Johnny Hurley. We continue to mourn and extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends. They will be remembered forever by the community they brought together. I encourage everyone to take a moment in the coming days to look for the good around you and be kind to one another.”
What happened during the shooting?
On June 21, 2021, a man targeted, ambushed, and killed Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley in Olde Town.
Beesley was killed by Ronald Troyke, 59, who had expressed hatred of police officers.
Hurley shot Troyke five times with a 9mm handgun and killed him.
An officer then shot and killed Hurley mistaking him for another shooter.
“Based on the facts, this officer had reasonable ground to believe Hurley was a second mass shooter,” District Attorney Alexis King said.
The officer who shot and killed Hurley was not charged.
Hurley will always be remembered as a hero
One of Hurley’s friends said Hurley would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it and described him as an everyman, who would work more than 100 hours a week as a caterer.
Cody Souels, who went to high school with Hurley, said he would want to be known for being “outspoken” and doing difficult things.
“That doesn’t surprise me. I mean, he seems like he would stand up for somebody if there was something going on,” Souels said.
“Johnny was the kind of guy that would think of everyone but himself first, always. It wouldn’t matter what the situation was,” said Cole Crocker, who used to work with Hurley at All Love Catering before the business shut down during the pandemic.
Hurley would be willing to work 100 hours per week to make sure everything was perfect for the weddings and events he handled, according to Jenn Masak, who worked with Hurley at the catering business.
