5280 Magazine

“In summer 2020, the nation’s attention turned to the killing of a 23-year-old Aurora man. His death prompted a flood of more than 8,500 letters from outside the state of Colorado—all begging Governor Jared Polis for justice. We read every one.”

“A tragic stretch in April 2020 shone a light on the mental health issues facing the mountain community. With the new school year set to start, area residents are continuing to heal while asking themselves how they can learn from the past.”

“Someday, there again will be high school proms, science fairs in the gym, and nighttime football games packed with students bathed under white lights. But who will be forgotten and left further behind?”

“With mood disorders on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, people who’ve never experienced mental health issues are enduring some of the emotions I feel almost every day of my life. Maybe that’s why I can finally tell my story.”

“Life, loss, fear, and hope in one Denver homeless encampment as the novel coronavirus upended services for some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens.”

How racist policies and disenfranchisement helped send two settlers on a killing spree in Colorado Territory.

“Mt. Sopris is one of the most striking mountains in Colorado—and, for one writer, a connection to friends both living and gone.”

The community of Columbine has rebuilt and redefined itself over the past 20 years since the high school massacre.

One outdoor enthusiast questions the role alcohol plays in outdoor sports and in her own life, with all its risk-taking and adrenaline highs.

Six years after one man’s son was murdered in the Aurora theater shooting, he’s running for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives to prevent more gun violence. Instead of succumbing to his loss, he became, in another victim’s words, “a warrior.”