The man who shot two women before turning the gun on himself last week in west Durango has died from his injuries, the Durango Police Department announced Monday in a social media post.
Bradley Campbell, 32, is suspected of shooting and killing his estranged wife, Shelby Campbell, and her friend Emma Sims about 7 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Apache Mobile Home Park in west Durango, police said.
All three were taken to various hospitals in critical condition.
Police said the two women died last week, and Bradley Campbell died Monday.
“Detectives have continued to investigate this incident and have determined there is no indication that anyone else was involved,” Durango Police Department wrote in a news release Monday.
Shelby Campbell and Emma Sims, both 32, were well known in Durango’s stand-up comedy scene, said Jason Balmforth, a local comedian and friend.
“Shelby and Emma were probably two of the most important people in my life,” Balmforth said. “Emma was colloquially known as ‘the god-queen of Durango comedy.’ And then Shelby took over comedy for her (when Sims moved away). We all would go to open mics and shows, laugh at life, laugh at the world and laugh at each other.”
Balmforth said both women were kind and generous to everyone they met.
“They were two small girls that had big hearts,” he said. “They just carried the world on their shoulders with just how generous and kind they were for everyone around them.”
Shelby Campbell worked at Beads and Beyond since 2014, according to shop owner Nancy Juliana, who described her as extraordinary woman filled with “joy, positivity and a desire to help others.”
“(Campbell) was an integral part of our family at the store,” Juliana wrote in a statement to The Durango Herald. “She made people feel special because she remembered them, knew their names, stories and genuinely cared about them as individuals.”
Christopher Hernandez said he met both women through Starlight Lounge’s stand-up open mic night. He described Sims as a vibrant individual who loved art and connecting with people.
“Emma was a wonderful person,” he wrote. “She was the best kind of friend who would do anything within her power for her friends. She was always full of smiles and energy, loved karaoke nights, had been a local stand-up comic, had recently self-published a short story and loved to paint. Her hair color was ever-changing, always vibrant and masterfully done.”
Hernandez said Sims moved to Taos, New Mexico, but visited friends in Durango whenever she could. She loved cooking for friends, regularly hosted game nights and often changed the menu depending on who was coming. Sims had been working her way through culinary school, he said.
Patrick Montine, another friend of Sims, said he met her on a date. Although their relationship never became romantic, they quickly became close friends and he described her as hilariously funny.
“When we met each other it was just fast friendship,” Montine said. “She quickly became one of the most important people in my life during that period of my life.”
Hernandez said Shelby Campbell was in the process of divorcing Bradley Campbell, and that Sims had come to Durango to support her friend.
Durango police said anyone experiencing domestic violence, or anyone who suspects someone may be in danger, should contact Alternative Horizons at (970) 247-9619.
“If you are in immediate danger, call 911,” the release said.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
For help
Help for people having suicidal thoughts or for those who fear a person is considering suicide:
Axis Care Hotline:
24/7 local response to your crisis & behavioral health needs: 247-5245
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE:
988
RED NACIONAL DE PREVENCIÓN DEL SUICIDIO:
988
FORT LEWIS COLLEGE COUNSELING CENTER:
247-7212
BOYS TOWN HOTLINE:
(800) 448-3000.
SAFE2TELL COLORADO:
(877) 542-7233 or safe2tell.org
COLORADO CRISIS SUPPORT LINE:
(844) 493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255 or online at coloradocrisisservices.org to access a live chat available in 17 languages. The line has mental-health professionals available to talk to adults or youths 24 hours a day.
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION:
Colorado chapter information available at afsp.org/chapter/afsp-colorado/
FOR MEN:
A website for adult men contemplating suicide is available at mantherapy.org
Domestic violence resources
Manna soup kitchen: 385-5095
- Food market.
- Showers.
- ID assistance.
- Snap application assistance.
Women’s Resource Center: 247-1242
- Womenade.
- Scholarships.
- Computer access.
Southwest Safehouse: 259-5443
- Safe housing for survivors of intimate partner violence.
Colorado Legal Services: 247-0266
- Civil legal services.
Sexual assault services organization (SASO) hotline: 247-5400
- Advocacy.
- Prevention education programs.
- 24/7 hotline.
Advocates available at these locations:
- Manna soup kitchen: First and third Thursdays of the month from 10 a.m. to noon.
- Pine River Library: Second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 2 to 4 p.m.
- Fort Lewis College Phoenix center: Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the school year.
