Columbine Survivors Murdered in Unsolved Subway Shooting
As gunfire echoed through Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, teenage sweethearts Nicholas Kunselman and Stephanie Hart-Grizzell hid in terror, waiting for help while classmates were hunted and killed. They emerged alive from the massacre that claimed twelve students and a teacher, including Rachel Joy Scott, who worked with Kunselman at a nearby Subway. In the aftermath, the couple clung together as their community grappled with the horror inflicted by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
Friends since middle school and now dating, Kunselman, 15, and Hart-Grizzell, 16, dreamed of a future beyond their shattered hometown of Littleton, Colorado. Their bond grew stronger, but tragedy struck again less than a year later. On Valentine's Day 2000, they were murdered side by side at the Subway store where Kunselman had worked with Scott. Unlike Harris and Klebold, who died by suicide, the perpetrator of this double homicide has never been identified or caught.
A Valentine's Day Nightmare
The tragedy unfolded shortly after midnight on February 14, 2000. Hart-Grizzell's mother, Kelly, last saw her daughter in her bedroom, wearing pajamas and doing homework. After wishing her goodnight, Kelly went to sleep, unaware that Hart-Grizzell would sneak out to visit Kunselman, who was closing the late shift alone at the Subway.
The next morning, Kelly noticed her daughter's car was missing. Turning on the television, she saw breaking news about a double murder at a Subway in Littleton. As footage aired, she recognized her daughter's car in the parking lot, but initially dismissed it as coincidence. That changed when police and news crews arrived at her door.
"I can remember somebody saying, 'Is this the mother?' and you can't imagine - you're hoping somebody is standing behind you, or that they're not really looking at you, or that you're dreaming," Kelly told Denver7 in 2017. "I can remember bits and pieces after that...it was February; I didn't have a coat. I remember falling to the ground."
The Discovery and Investigation
Around 12:45 a.m., a co-worker driving past the Subway noticed lights still on hours after the 10 p.m. closing time. Inside, they found Kunselman and Hart-Grizzell shot to death behind the counter. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office gathered crucial evidence but withheld details known only to the killer.
Kunselman's mother, Wendy, recalled screaming upon learning of her son's death. "I screamed and said, 'No, no... this can't be happening,'" she told local media in 2000. "I have no idea what happened. I want to know why." The exact manner of death, number of injuries, and weapon used have never been publicly disclosed.
Investigators interviewed over 500 people but hit dead ends. Early theories included a botched robbery, though nothing was stolen. A witness reported seeing a white male, aged 16-20, about 5-foot-7 and 150-170 pounds, with blondish hair, wearing a red jacket and flared pants, fleeing the scene. This description generated hundreds of leads across the country, including to South Carolina and Florida, but proved fruitless. Several false confessions emerged due to the case's connection to Columbine.
Drug Connections and Legal Battles
Detectives explored links to local drug networks, noting indications of drug use by the teenagers but declining to elaborate. Interviews tied to over 50 drug cases led to 35 prosecutions for unrelated charges, mostly involving cocaine and methamphetamine sales to youths, but no evidence connected this to the murders.
In 2003, Kelly sued the Subway franchise owner, alleging he allowed drug activity and unlocked access to the store. A judge dismissed the claim because Hart-Grizzell was not an employee; the owner denied wrongdoing. Kelly, who lost her only child, said, "My family was pretty much destroyed from this. My dad still cries every day. The impact is so far beyond me."
A Cold Case with Lingering Hope
Initially, families believed the killer would be quickly caught, but leads dried up as weeks turned into years. The case has passed through multiple investigators, amassing over 40 binders of material, 150 pieces of evidence, and hundreds of interviews. Evidence has been re-examined for DNA, but no breakthroughs occurred.
Recently reassigned and formally classified as a cold case, it remains a priority for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. A spokesperson stated, "The horrific murders of Stephanie Hart and Nick Kunselman in 2000 remain a deeply significant and heart-wrenching case... The JCSO has invested thousands of hours investigating this case and pursuing every potential lead."
Wendy Kunselman, who died in 2012, said her son believed Hart-Grizzell was his soulmate. "He believed there was no way they could ever be apart," she noted. The couple were buried together in a joint ceremony.
In 2020, Kelly addressed the killer directly, urging them to come forward. "I think people talk about closure. Certainly, I don't expect closure, but I do hope for justice. I know the case can still be solved," she said in a 2019 interview. A $60,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest, with tips directed to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
