A Killer Has Walked Free for 26 Years After Gunning Down Two Columbine Survivors

Twenty-six years ago, a killer walked into a Subway restaurant in Littleton, Colorado, and gunned down two teenagers who had already defied death once before. To this day, no one has been held accountable.

Nicholas Kunselman, 15, and Stephanie Hart-Grizzell, 16, were both inside Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, when two gunmen,  Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered twelve students and a teacher before taking their own lives. The young couple survived the massacre and grew even closer in its devastating aftermath, according to a report from the Daily Mail on Monday, April 20.

“Although they had just gone through the tragedy at the high school, they were coming through it so good, and they were so happy,” Kelly Grizzell, Stephanie’s mom, told Denver 7 in 2024. “We just really felt like that might be the last hard thing that we went through.”

Their future was stolen less than a year later.

On Valentine’s Day 2000, just after midnight, a coworker passing the Subway where Kunselman worked noticed the lights still burning hours after closing, per the Daily Mail. Inside, they discovered a horrific crime scene with both teens were found shot to death behind the counter.

The article noted detectives interviewed hundreds of people and chased leads across multiple states. A witness reported seeing a young white male fleeing the scene in a red jacket, but that individual has never been identified. Several people falsely confessed after the case drew national attention due to its ties to Columbine. Investigators also explored possible connections to local drug activity but found no definitive link to the murders.

Over the course of 26 years, detectives have amassed 150 pieces of evidence, filling forty binders with information and repeated DNA analysis have yielded no breakthrough, per the report. The case remains a priority for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, despite its formal cold-case classification.

Per the article, a $60,000 reward still stands. Hart-Grizzell’s mother has publicly pleaded with the killer to come forward, saying she doesn’t expect closure — but still hopes for justice.

Anyone with information can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.