Father of a local journalist killed

An outpouring of sympathy is measuring in the tens of thousands for a well-liked Central Coast journalist whose father was one of the 10 people shot to death in a Boulder, Colorado supermarket Monday.

Erika Mahoney, the news director for KAZU, the National Public Radio station for the Central Coast, announced on social media the news of the death of her father, 61-year-old Kevin Mahoney, at the hands of a gunman who opened fire in a crowded market on Monday.

“I am heartbroken to announce that my Dad, my hero, Kevin Mahoney, was killed in the King Soopers shooting in my hometown of Boulder, Colo.,” Mahoney posted. “My dad represents all things Love. I’m so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer.”

By Tuesday morning well over 250,000 people had acknowledged her Twitter post and more than 20,000 people retweeted the news with scores more added every second. Another 20,000 people posted condolences.

Mahoney is pregnant, which compounds the tragedy in that her father will never see his grandchild.

“I know he wants me to be strong

for his granddaughter,” she posted.

Scores of local officials and fellow journalists expressed their condolences. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute wrote that it “joins the entire Monterey Bay community in offering our deepest condolences,” and Doug McKnight, a program host and senior adviser to KAZU, said the entire staff has been affected.

“As you can imagine, it is a very sad time for our close-knit station and the warmth everyone has shown is greatly appreciated,” he wrote in an email Tuesday.

The condolences ranged from “the world is mourning with you” to many hundreds of people expressing anger over another mass killing with guns.

The weapon used in the killing was an AR-15 military-style assault rifle. The shooter had purchased it six days before the shooting.

On Mahoney’s Twitter feed, Dr. Beth Linas expressed her sorrow for Mahoney and lamented a country unable to act on guns.

“I wish there was more that could be done to stop this but our Nation is unable to act — it is not OK.” And another commenter, Evan Handler, wrote that his heart is breaking for her and that he is “glad you had such a swell Dad in the first place,” adding that he was sorry her father was “so senselessly taken. Many are working to end the insanity of gun worship in this nation. Here’s hoping they prevail.”

Services have not been announced. yet