UCCS to hold healing walk on Monday; all classes canceled
The Colorado Springs community is invited to attend the walk
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs will hold a healing walk on Monday afternoon and all classes have been canceled following three deaths on campus last week.
The walk will begin at 2 p.m. at Roaring Fork dining hall and continue to the mountain lion statue in El Pomar Plaza by the Kraemer Family Library, the university announced on X. The Colorado Springs community is invited to attend the walk.
UCCS announced that brief statements will be given by Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet, Student Body President Axel Brown, and UCCS Chief of Police Dewayne McCarver.
The university also announced that all classes, regular activities and meetings will be canceled on Monday in a statement from Chancellor Sobanet on Sunday.
“Tomorrow, we will take our first steps, processing and mourning along our healing journey. I encourage you to set aside time to process the tragic events of this past week, both as an individual and in a group setting,” Sobanet said in the message.
The Colorado Springs Police Department announced on Friday morning that a homicide investigation was underway after two were found dead in a campus dorm room. On Sunday afternoon, CSPD identified the individuals as Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, of Pueblo, and Samuel Knopp, 24, of Parker.
Knopp was a senior music student, “an accomplished guitar player and an extremely talented musician,” according to a statement from Sobanet.
Montgomery, who was not a registered student at the university, was a freelance copywriter, according to her memorialized LinkedIn page. Sobanet stated that Montgomery, too, “will be mourned by the campus community.”
On Monday, Feb. 12, a nursing student died after a medical emergency in a gym on campus. The student was identified as UCCS senior Mia Brown.
“She was a dedicated nursing student who was highly involved on campus, and she will be very missed,” Sobanet said in a statement.
Parking will be free for the healing walk, and transportation will be provided for those who cannot walk the whole route.
The Gazette news reporter O’Dell Isaac contributed to this report.
