{"id":48323,"date":"2021-02-25T16:43:46","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T23:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/8th-ave-tavern-gunshot-victim-it-just-came-out-of-nowhere\/"},"modified":"2021-02-25T23:43:46","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T23:43:46","slug":"8th-ave-tavern-gunshot-victim-it-just-came-out-of-nowhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/8th-ave-tavern-gunshot-victim-it-just-came-out-of-nowhere\/","title":{"rendered":"8th Ave. Tavern gunshot victim: \u2018It just came out of nowhere\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n

Celeste Faumui was having a drink with friends at 8th Ave. Tavern on Jan. 29, a night much like any other, when gunshots started firing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just came out of nowhere,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople just started yelling \u2018get down\u2019 and trying to get inside the building through the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

After hearing the first shot, Faumui dropped to the ground for cover, but was struck by the second bullet. She then lost consciousness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next thing I remember is being loaded into an ambulance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Faumui, 41, who has lived in Durango for about 20 years, was one of seven people hanging out on the outdoor patio of 8th Ave. Tavern, at 509 East Eighth Ave., when a gunman opened fire around 11 p.m.<\/a><\/p>\n

The gunman, according to police records, shot six to seven times from an alley behind CJ\u2019s Diner, which is across the street and east of the bar, toward the outdoor section of the bar, striking Faumui and a 29-year-old man.<\/p>\n

The man, who was shot through the leg, did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Both Faumui and the man were taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center, where they were treated and released the next day.<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean the suffering, or healing process, is over for Faumui.<\/p>\n

\"Celeste
Celeste Faumui is a teacher in Bayfield who also works at Steamworks Brewing Co. and Olde Tymers Cafe, and is a single mother. Since being shot last month at 8th Ave. Tavern, she has been unable to return to work.<\/span>Courtesy of Celeste Faumui<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Celeste
Celeste Faumui was shot through the shoulder at 8th Ave. Tavern when a gunman opened fire at the bar, apparently at random. She was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center with one other victim, who was shot in the leg.<\/span>Courtesy of Celeste Faumui<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Faumui lives across the street from 8th Ave. Tavern, so she\u2019s a regular there a few nights of the week. She was at the bar for only 30 minutes or so with her boyfriend before the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never felt unsafe in this town,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was definitely eye-opening for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bullet went through Faumui\u2019s right shoulder, about a half-inch from her spine. She still has no movement in her right shoulder or right arm, and will likely have to go through months of physical therapy.<\/p>\n

And because the shot passed so close to the spine, she must see a spine specialist, she said. It\u2019s also possible she will need surgery.<\/p>\n

Aside from the obvious physical trauma, unexpected medical costs are likely to pile up. Faumui is a single mother with two children. She works as a teacher in Bayfield, and also at Steamworks Brewing Co. and Olde Tymers Cafe.<\/p>\n

Because of her injuries, she has not been able to return to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t think someone could walk by, shoot you and then you\u2019d have all these bills,\u201d she said. \u201cRight now, I\u2019m depending on friends and the community to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A GoFundMe account has been started to help Faumui with medical costs, which can be viewed at https:\/\/bit.ly\/3kwBSnL<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A
A gunman opened fire on the outdoor patio of 8th Ave. Tavern in January, and authorities are unsure what provoked the suspect, identified as Michael Victor Quirova, 27.<\/span>Durango Herald file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Victims of crime in Colorado eventually have access to what is known as a victim\u2019s compensation fund, which helps them pay for expenses incurred from a crime but not covered by insurance or other sources.<\/p>\n

But victims must go through an application process, which is ultimately approved or denied by a three-member board, so it\u2019s unknown when Faumui may receive financial help.<\/p>\n

The program is funded in part by federal assistance, and also fees from violations like speeding tickets and convictions. The program usually sends out $75,000 to $100,000 a year to victims in La Plata County.<\/p>\n

Nancy Lewis, executive director of Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, said the victim compensation fund is an important resource for victims to recover costs, especially for medical expenses.<\/p>\n

And where the victim compensation fund ends, COVA steps in.<\/p>\n

\u201cCOVA has funds to help people with non-victim compensation eligible things,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big list.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lewis said expenses such as rent, necessities like food and diapers, as well as day care can be covered. Victims must also apply and go through a victim\u2019s advocate to help assess a person\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

Faumui said she is going through the victim advocate program in Durango, but she is still learning the process. Since the shooting happened about a month ago, she has been focusing on her health.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust last week, finally, I\u2019ve been able to process some things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Part of Faumui\u2019s healing is going to be coming to terms with the events that unfolded that night, which will likely include therapy. After two decades in Durango, she never had safety concerns for herself or her children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the whole reason I live in Durango,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a small town.\u201d<\/p>\n

Durango Police Department Cmdr. Rita Warfield could recall only one or two times in her history with the force when someone shot at people at random, most recently, an unprovoked shooting on Main Avenue in June 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a rule, we don\u2019t have these,\u201d Warfield said.<\/p>\n

Authorities are still at a loss as to why the suspect, Michael Victor Quirova, 27, opened fire that night.<\/p>\n

\"Quirova\"
Quirova<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Investigators said he wasn\u2019t at the bar and didn\u2019t get into a fight with anyone at the bar. Nor does it appear he argued with anyone outside the bar, including the patio area. It appears to be a random act.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as we can tell, the suspect was just in the area and had been hanging around nearby the tavern just before he decided to fire shots at the bar,\u201d Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop said at the time. \u201cNothing was instigated inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only statement he gave to authorities on the way to the jail, according to the arrest affidavit, was, \u201cWhy did this take so long?\u201d<\/p>\n

Authorities say Quirova is from the Front Range, but was living in Durango.<\/p>\n

Recently, he had been released from Hilltop House community corrections center, which provides transitional housing to parolees and criminal offenders who are required to work and earn income while living in the community.<\/p>\n

Quirova wore an ankle bracelet because he was still on parole at the time of the shooting.<\/p>\n

Quirova has a criminal record dating to 2008, police records show, which includes convictions for burglary, possession of a controlled substance, vehicular eluding and escape.<\/p>\n

According to a report in The Colorado Springs Gazette<\/em>, Quirova in 2013 had a long standoff with police, in which he allegedly held a female hostage against her will inside an apartment.<\/p>\n

A SWAT team forced entry and took Quirova into custody. According to state records, he was sentenced to prison and was eligible for parole in March 2020, though the rest of his timeline remains unclear.<\/p>\n

Annie Skinner, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Corrections, did not return a call or email seeking comment.<\/p>\n

Quirova is in custody at the La Plata County Jail on $500,000 bail set Feb. 2 by Judge William Herringer. He was cited with seven counts of attempted murder, because seven people were on the outdoor patio.<\/p>\n

Durango Fire Protection District Chief Hal Doughty also said random shootings are an uncommon occurrence in town, but emergency crews constantly train for all situations \u2013 gunshots, stabbings, car crashes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really big part of what we do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Doughty wasn\u2019t at the scene the night of the shooting, but he said emergency crews are in constant communication with law enforcement to know when it is safe to enter a scene and start treating victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to take precautions, make sure we\u2019re not going to be the next gunshot victim,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Though the victims were released the next day from Mercy, Doughty said victims of gunshots have to deal with both the physical and mental trauma long after hospital treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a significant trauma event,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are people who struggle greatly with that for years to come. It\u2019s a life-changing event for the victim.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faumui said she\u2019s likely going to receive therapy, but for now, she has received the support of family, friends and the community. She hasn\u2019t been back to her neighborhood bar quite yet, but she will, some day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll take me some time to be able to do that,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I\u2019ve gotten a lot of love from people in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

jromeo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Celeste Faumui begins process of healing after traumatic event<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[168,1480,1065,28,68,29,4259],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-48323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-crime","tag-durango-fire-protection-district","tag-durango-police-department","tag-headlines","tag-mercy-regional-medical-center","tag-newsletter","tag-newsletter-sign-up"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48323"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=48323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}