Lindsay Daum and Meadow Sinner: Colorado mom and daughter, 16, SHOT DEAD by ex who later kills himself
LOVELAND, COLORADO: On Monday, August 1, 41-year-old Lindsay E Daum and 16-year-old Meadow L Sinner were identified by the Larimer County Coroner's Office as victims of an act of domestic violence in a Loveland home last Thursday. Authorities say that the gunman took his own life after the shooting. Officers arrived at the home around 2:30 pm on Thursday after two children, ages 12 and 14, called 911 and said they were hiding inside the home after two people were shot.
After their arrival, they found the bodies of Daum and Sinner. Daum was Sinner's mother. They had both suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The 12-year-old who was the first to make the call to 911 was hiding in a bedroom, police said, and told officers that the suspect may still be in the home. According to 9News, Sinner was a rising junior at Mountain View High School and was known by friends and loved ones as an actor on stage and a leader with the Colorado Youth Congress. "She was such a bright person and presence, even if she didn’t believe it a lot of the time," Sinner's friend Chloe Schaal said. "She absolutely lit up our lives and lit up the stage," she added.
READ MORE
Who is Ryan Mcleod? Detroit boy, 16, killed 13-year-old Joe Nankervis over stolen cellphone
Javier Acevedo, 49, was identified as the gunman. He also happened to be the ex of Daum. ABC-7 claims that two different women had previously filed protective orders against Acevedo. A permanent restraining order had been issued in June for one of the women. A total of five kids were listed on the protective orders. Acevedo also reportedly had multiple arrests for child abuse, sexual assault on a child, and at least two drug charges.
Loveland Police Department released a statement saying that the scene was chaotic when they arrived at the site of the shooting. "The first responding officers arrived and immediately encountered the 14-year old caller, as well as a 16-year old suffering from gunshot wounds," the statement reads. "The arriving officers pulled the 16-year old away from the entry of the doorway and began immediate lifesaving measures." But the 16-year-old, Sinner, later died from her injuries. "Two responding patrol officers approached the rear of the residence and observed a 2-year old in the backyard," the statement continues. "One of the officers ... jumped the fence to secure the child while the other officer provided cover. The child was then handed over to an awaiting Sergeant, and was safely removed." "An officer observed a 5-year old standing at the top of the stairway to the upper level of the residence. The officer talked to the 5-year old who went to the officer and was safely extracted from the residence." "The 12-year old caller was hiding in a lower level bedroom closet," the statement says. "The contact team continued the search and located a 41-year old female victim deceased."
The gunman was later located by the police in Erie, about 30 miles south of the shooting scene, after a few hours but he had already taken his life by that time. The sudden violence has shaken the town of Loveland, which is located approximately an hour north of Denver. Family and friends have created a GoFundMe that states that the four surviving children will be cared for by Daum's 72-year-old mother.
“I feel like so many kids were just afraid to talk, and everybody had masks on and it was so weird and awkward. And Meadow, being herself and being outspoken and ready to give her opinion at any moment, helped us all as a class kind of come together and get to know each other," Kristi Thompson recalled Sinner as a freshman, according to Denver7abc. Thompson said she could always count on Sinner as a student. She said she learned so much more from Sinner than she could have ever taught her. “It feels honestly like losing a child. I went through, I'm still going through all of the emotions that grief brings, angry, but mostly I'm just sad that the world is now deprived of what a sweet girl she was," Thompson said through tears. “Someone needs to tell the world how amazing she was. She was so great.”
"Meadow was only 16 and one of the most beautiful and vibrant souls we have ever met," the GoFundMe states. "She was a leader in the Colorado Youth Congress and was working with her peers to improve mental health support in schools. Her death will leave an irreparable hole in the hearts of all that knew and loved her." "Meadow's mom, Lindsay, was a committed and caring mother," the GoFundMe continues. "She loved being a mom more than anything else in the world. May Meadow and Lindsay's legacy be one of love and care."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).