Oct. 21 (UPI) — The man who shot and killed three people inside a Denver-area Walmart last year received three life sentences, the result of a plea deal to avoid execution.
Scott Ostrem, 48, started randomly shooting inside the Walmart on Nov. 1. He was given an additional 48 years on attempted-murder charges because he fired bullets into the crowded store, located in Thornton, about 10 miles north of Denver.
The shots killed Victor Vasquez, 26; Carlos Moreno, 66; and Pamela Marques, 53.
Ostrem was silent Friday as 13 victims in the Adams County District Court spoke about their loved ones and how the shooting changed their lives. Seven others had letters read aloud in the courtroom.
Officials say the day before the killings, Ostrem walked off his job as a metal fabricator. The next day he practiced target shooting at a range just a few hours prior to going to the Walmart.
Ostrem refused to speak to the court when given a chance. His motive remains unknown.
District Attorney Dave Young, during a post-sentencing news conference, said his theory is that Ostrem is a psychopath.
“He wanted to kill people. He practiced it. And he accomplished his goal,” Young said.
