Tiffany Johnson
Tiffany Johnson, 26, always had a smile on her face and loved to meet new people. She also loved to snowboard, and she used that love to help spread her Christian faith, friends and family said.
Johnson was one of two people killed during the Dec. 9 shooting at the Youth With A Mission center in Arvada.
Johnson of Chisholm, Minn., enrolled a year ago in Youth With A Mission’s program designed for skateboarders, snowboarders and others who wanted to use sports and popular culture to spread Christian messages. Earlier this year, she took a full-time job in the Arvada office’s hospitality department, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Johnson’s bubbly and outgoing attitude made her a natural at the job.
“She was really involved in child care of … staff members, spending time with old ladies’ groups at area churches, and was always getting to know people,” said Jessica Warren, a close friend and daughter of Arvada YWAM chapter founders Peter and Linda Warren.
Philip Crouse
Alaska resident Philip Crouse, 24, made a dramatic life change before he was killed Dec. 9 at Youth With A Mission in Arvada.
Once an angry skinhead who talked tough and pushed people away, he changed his outlook after becoming involved with Peters Creek Christian Church in Alaska six years ago, according to media reports.
“He laid down his turmoil. His snarl relaxed — or turned to an impish grin. He traded his heavy metal drumming for a praise band. He exchanged dark imaginings for Bible study and evangelical zeal. The transformation was as complete as it was remarkable,” his family said in a statement in the Anchorage Daily News.
Crouse had a forgiving spirit and a deep faith he wanted to share with others, said Zach Chandler, the youth pastor of Peters Creek Church. Crouse had planned to do missionary work in Kazakhstan.
Dan Griebenow
Friends and family call Dan Griebenow’s fate “a miracle.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Griebenow was listed in serious but stable condition after being shot in the neck Sunday at the Youth With A Mission center, where Griebenow worked.
His tough but friendly attitude is what will get him through the injury, his friends said in a Rapid City Journal story.
“He’s such an all-around good guy. You can’t find anybody that has anything bad to say about him,” said Matt Buchko, 25, of Rapid City, a friend who lent support at the hospital.
Charlie blanch
Charlie Blanch, a 22-year-old native of Burnsville, Minn., was shot in the leg. He was treated and released.
Blanch did a series of funny Web videos, including “Charlie Wire,” updating friends and family about his time at YWAM. He worked on the computers at the Arvada YWAM center, the Star-Tribune reported. He is known for his offbeat sense of humor, said the Rev. Jerry Strandquist, pastor at a Bloomington, Minn., church where Blanch worked as a janitor.
“I think he’s still trying to sort out what happened. He hasn’t had a lot of time to think about it,” Strandquist said.