DENVER (KDVR) — The owner of a Denver tattoo business says the man responsible for a deadly shooting spree across Denver and Lakewood was out to get revenge on those who worked at the same shop on Sixth Avenue and Cherokee Street several years ago after he was let go.
The FOX31 Problem Solvers’ Shaul Turner talked to Jeremy Costilow, who shared his terrifying account of being targeted by the shooter.
Costilow said the suspect forced his way into the home where his family lives, which is attached to that tattoo shop that he now runs as Six Collective Tattoo.
The family ran to nearby World Tattoo, where the staff hid Costilow’s girlfriend and baby.
While the family was hiding, the van where Costilow keeps supplies for his tattoo shop was set on fire and destroyed.
Costilow told FOX31 a friend had warned him that the suspect was out to kill him.
He said he had received threatening flyers but was shocked to learn the suspect had written about targeting his shop in a series of books.
“After a few weeks of watching my back and locking my gate, it just kind of went away and I never took it too seriously. Then I would have read the book — he put that little flyer on my shop two years ago — and I wish I just — I didn’t want to read his book. I just didn’t like him. I should have read it. I would have gotten a little more worried,” Costilow said.
Costilow told FOX31 he wishes authorities would have warned him about what was in the book. He said that some of the victims in the shootings had worked in his shop six years ago.
He also said he was armed when the suspect broke in, but wouldn’t fire the gun near his baby in order to protect her hearing.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help Jeremy with his recovery.