Topgolf Employee Goes on Deadly Shooting Rampage Against Co-Workers, Laughs About It Afterward: Cops

A dishwasher at the Topgolf in Thornton is accused of ambushing his co-workers in the parking lot, shooting at them a dozen times — killing one — and laughing as he fled the scene, a witness says.

Victor Salazar-Guarache, 26, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree attempted murder on Friday for the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Bryce Holden, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Salazar-Guarache left work early for an unknown reason shortly before midnight on December 22, per his arrest affidavit. But rather than going home, he allegedly stayed in his car in the Topgolf parking lot at 16011 Grant Street and waited for his co-workers to come outside. After an hour, two employees — one of them Holden — walked outside, and Salazar-Guarache allegedly stepped out of his car and opened fire on them.

The affidavit says Holden was struck and fell to the ground, while the other worker ran back toward Topgolf. Salazar-Guarache allegedly continued to shoot at the injured victim, who attempted to roll away from him and shield himself with his hands. After firing twelve rounds, Salazar-Guarache got in his car and drove away.

"When Victor returned ... it appeared to [a witness] that Victor was laughing," the affidavit says.

The shooting was witnessed by a Lyft driver and their passenger, who is also a dishwasher at Topgolf along with Holden and Salazar-Guarache, the affidavit says. The Thornton Police Department identified Salazar-Guarache with the help of Topgolf management and video surveillance of the parking lot.

Salazar-Guarache was arrested three hours after the shooting after Larimer County authorities stopped him driving north on Interstate 25 shortly after 4 a.m. on December 23. He has no prior criminal history, the affidavit says.

Salazar-Guarache is scheduled to appear in Adams County District Court on January 2.
"We are shocked and heartbroken by the incident that occurred in our Thornton venue parking lot, and we grieve for those impacted by this senseless act," a Topgolf spokesperson says. "We are cooperating fully with law enforcement agencies, whom we appreciate greatly, and we are focused on providing support to our Topgolf team during this difficult time. We also want to salute all other first responders who assisted with skill and care."

Topgolf is offering counseling services for Thornton employees in the wake of the shooting.

The rampage is the latest in a series of gun violence incidents at Topgolfs throughout the country this year. There have been at least five other shootings inside and outside of Topgolf locations in Maryland, Tennessee, Texas and California.

In Maryland, a Topgolf patron was arrested for allegedly shooting two employees who asked his party to leave at closing time in August. In Illinois, over the course of a single month, police made three separate arrests at one Topgolf after recovering illegally possessed loaded guns in cars parked outside the venue.

It has been a tough year for Topgolf in Colorado, as well.

The company inquired about opening its fourth location in the Centennial State in the northern town of Timnath, but residents rallied together to keep the venue out.

To stop Topgolf from coming to their town, locals petitioned for a ballot measure to prohibit netting and fences from being built taller than 65 feet (Topgolf's nets and fences are often over 150 feet tall). The grassroots movement argued that the netting would hurt local wildlife and the venue would lead to noise and sound pollution in the community. More than 69 percent of voters approved the ballot measure in June.

The Thornton Topgolf was the second to launch in the state, opening in 2019. There's a third now in Colorado Springs.