LITTLETON, Colo. — A father of two young boys who recently moved from Utah to Colorado for a new job was among three people found dead at a suburban Denver bowling alley.
James Donald Springer Jr., 29, and two others were found dead of gunshot wounds late Sunday at AMF Broadway Lanes in Littleton. Police said there was no apparent motive and no arrests were made.
Also killed were Erin Golla, 26, of Englewood, and Robert Zajac, 23, of Denver.
Springer moved to Denver from Utah on Dec. 1 to take a job as assistant manager at the bowling alley. Several weeks later he went back to celebrate Christmas and move his family — his wife, Jennifer, and sons James Donald Springer III, 19 months, and Devin Michael, 4 months.
"He was so happy when he got this job," said his father, James. "We keep telling ourselves it's not true," referring to his son's death.
James Jr. graduated from Skyview High School in Smithfield, Cache County, a town of about 8,000, where he played on the football team.
"He was my partner. We hunted, we fished together, I coached his Little League baseball team and went to every high school football game," said the elder Springer. "He loved his wife and kids..
"He was a very large boy. He just stuck up for everybody who was more or less the underdog. He was very protective."
The elder Springer and his wife, Sharon, couldn't fly to Denver on Monday because of heavy snow in Utah.
"We were scheduled to arrive on Friday to celebrate my husband's birthday and watch the Super Bowl with my son," said Sharon Springer.
"He loved his boys, he loved his wife," his mother said. "He was hoping to make them a better life in Denver, which is why he went there."
"No one there knows him that well. I guess now they will never have that opportunity."
The triple slayings also struck the families and friends of Golla and Zajac.
Golla's father, Ronald Golla, lost his wife of 33 years to cancer in May and his daughter-in-law two years ago, also to cancer.
Erin Golla was a single mother of two girls.
"She was just a sweet daughter as far as I'm concerned," Ronald Golla said. "She never caused me any problems."
Friends described Zajac as a gifted, fun-loving bowler who hated to lose. He had planned to earn a degree in accounting, his brother, Jeff Zajac, said.