Denver tattoo shop permanently closes 2 years after owner killed in shooting spree

DENVER ( KDVR ) — A Denver tattoo shop has shut its doors permanently — nearly two and a half years after the owner was killed in a shooting spree.

On Monday, Sol Tribe , a tattoo and piercing shop on Broadway, announced on Instagram that they were officially closed. The shop has been a Denver staple for 15 years.

“It’s with a very heavy heart that the staff of Sol Tribe say final goodbyes to the studio today suddenly. We thought we had another month of sorting out details before the final closing of Sol Tribe, but that wasn’t the case. We are completely devastated,” said Sol Tribe in an Instagram caption.

The shop was owned by Alicia Cardenas who was killed in December 2021 when a gunman killed five people in a series of shootings that spanned from Denver to Lakewood. From tattoos to piercings and even murals, Cardenas was well known throughout Denver’s greater art scene and beyond.

“She really put in a lot of work to make sure that South American piercers got the education that they needed in order to really elevate the industry,” said friend Luna Duran in 2021.

Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado , 35, was also shot and killed at Sol Tribe, and her husband, Jimmy Maldonado, was shot and wounded.

Following the shooting, the shop temporarily closed and was reopened in January 2022. Now two and a half years later, Sol Tribe had to close its doors for good.

“Y’all have supported us through figurative hell, during our hardest moments and we will never forget that. We are stunned by this news and we are heartbroken,” said Sol Tribe on Instagram.

While Sol Tribe is no longer open, the shop said its tattoo artists and pierces landed in amazing places. Their Instagram post lists where former employees are now working.

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