Meghan Bigelow, a Colorado mom of three who sells dietary supplements, was simply on her way to a routine dental appointment. However, police say a road rage incident with a 23-year-old Colorado Springs man turned into a mass shooting that left Bigelow’s teenage son dead, and the mother and her other child fighting for their lives.
A search warrant in the case against Jeremy John Webster paints a horrifying scene of what happened to the young family and a bystander in a Westminster, Colorado dental office parking lot. Police accuse Webster of parking behind Bigelow’s car and then shooting the mother and two of her three sons in cold blood. He is then accused of shooting a bystander, John Gale, who was simply sitting in a Ford truck nearby. Webster fled the scene and is in custody.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help the Bigelow family.
Bigelow’s oldest son, Vaughn Bigelow, died in the carnage, and she and her son Asa Bigelow were listed in critical condition on June 15, 2018, according to police, although a search warrant gave their conditions as serious. Gale is recovering from his wounds, which were not life-threatening, according to police.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Say the Gunman Didn’t Know Meghan Bigelow & That He Returned to Shoot the Child Again After the Boy Was Already on the Ground
FacebookMeghan Bigelow with one of her children.
Webster was a stranger to his victims, police say. “Through our investigation we have been able to determine the suspect did not know any of the victims and did not have a relationship with any of them. It appears as if this incident stemmed from a road rage,” police wrote.
The shooting occurred in the parking lot outside Comfort Dental at 80th and Sheridan.
A lot of police focus on the silver SUV — does appear there are some gunshots on the outside of the SUV on the scene of a shooting outside a Westminster CO dentist office: t.co/p7HtB00TqZ
Contact7 investigator Jace Larson obtained a search warrant in the case that provided more details. It says that Webster allegedly used a Glock 19 handgun to commit the shooting and that one of the boys, Cooper, gave police an account of what happened. You can read the search warrant document here.
According to the search warrant, multiple witnesses saw Webster park his black Toyota Corolla in the middle of the parking lot behind Meghan Bigelow’s vehicle. “Jeremy and Meghan were involved in a brief argument as she and her three children, Asa Bigelow, Vaughn Bigelow and Cooper Bigelow, age 12 exited her car,” the warrant says.
As Meghan and Jeremy were arguing, witnesses “saw Jeremy produce a handgun and shoot Meghan multiple times,” the warrant alleges. “When Meghan was shot she fell to the ground and Jeremy then turned to Vaughn Bigelow and Asa Bigelow and shot both of those children multiple times. Jeremy was seen briefly walking back toward his car and he then walked up to Vaughn Bigelow and shot him again while he was on the ground. The third child, Cooper Bigelow was able to flee the scene and was not shot,” alleges the warrant.
Meghan Bigelow with her husband.
After Jeremy allegedly shot Meghan and two of her children, Jeremy appeared to make eye contact with John Gale, who was sitting in his truck in the parking lot with his 9-year-old daughter, says the warrant. Jeremy is accused of walking toward John’s truck and firing multiple rounds, striking Gale in the arms. John “put his truck into reverse sped out of the parking lot,” according to the warrant.
After allegedly shooting John, Jeremy Webster fled the scene, police say, although he was apprehended a few hours later after his vehicle was spotted by a wildlife officer. Cooper Bigelow said the incident started in the area of Sheridan Boulevard at Turnpike Drive. “Meghan and Jeremy were involved in some type of road rage incident and Jeremy followed their vehicle” to the dental parking lot, where they were involved in a brief argument, the warrant says.
The child fled into the business and saw Jeremy shoot his mother and two brothers, contends the warrant.
Heavy confirmed through jail records that Jeremy Webster was booked into the Adams County, Colorado jail at 1:39 a.m. on June 15, 2018. According to police, Jeremy Webster is accused of Murder in the First Degree After Deliberation with Intent; Murder in the First Degree Extreme Indifference; Assault in the First Degree; and Criminal Attempt to Commit a Class One Felony.
From the east coast originally, Jeremy Webster “holds an active license from the Colorado Department of Revenue allowing him to work in the marijuana industry,” CBS Local reported, although it’s not clear whether he was working actively in that industry. KDVR-TV reporter Rob Low wrote on Twitter that “Jeremy Webster passed a background check two years ago to get his marijuana license to be able to work in the industry. License due to expire in two weeks.”
2. Meghan Bigelow Sells Dietary Supplements & Wrote About Being at the Swimming Pool That Morning
FacebookMeghan Bigelow with her husband
Meghan Bigelow’s Facebook page is filled with pictures of healthy eating and fitness. Her Facebook page says she works as an independent consultant for AdvoCare, which is a company that sells dietary supplements. She lives in Colorado and is originally from New Jersey.
Her posts show a loving mother who is now living a normal life interrupted. Just hours before the shooting, she posted a picture at a swimming pool with a meal replacement shake and wrote, “this morning’s pool side breakfast treat…Vanilla MRS + Pineapple Coconut Spark = Pina Collada Smoothie…YUM!!! #3poolsaday #advomomof3boys #buildingchampions #summerlife #breakfastonthego.” A lot of her posts focused on similar things. For example, she recently wrote, “Ha! Something I have coached on for years. If you are tired of the yo-yo, the trendy diet, and the what should I really eat to live, then it is time to reach out to me for help. The 80/20 is simple, sustainable, coachable, and lifelong. Harvard Health even agrees!”
Meghan Bigelow
She also wrote about her children. One post referred to one of her sons and said, “The life of a product loving, healthy living, cleansing, waterpolo mom. Snacks for me, snacks for him. Product for me, product for him. Water for me, water for him.” In February, she wrote, “The kids are back to school…the sun is out…the flowers are happy…this mama is going to the gym…time for the 1, 2, 3 combo!”
The Team AdvoCare Facebook page posted a tribute that reads, “We are heartbroken today as we receive news from Colorado about AdvoCare Distributor Meghan Bigelow and her sons, tragically shot during a road rage incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Vaughn and her entire family as they cope with the loss of one son and critical injuries to Meghan and her youngest son Asa. Cooper, her middle child, luckily escaped without physical injuries. Please keep them in your thoughts this weekend and beyond at what will be a long road to recovery for the entire family and their loved ones.”
The Denver Post reported that 20 people witnessed the shooting. A witness told The Post that he “found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and his clothes saturated in blood,” saying, “He was very coherent. He was very calm.”
3. Meghan Bigelow Took a Photo of the Suspect’s License Plate, Leading to the Arrest
FacebookMeghan Bigelow
When the shooter became embroiled in the road rage incident with her, Meghan Bigelow had the quick thinking to take a photo of his license plate, according to the search warrant document.
Cooper told detectives that his mother “took a picture of the license plate of Jeremy’s vehicle before they got out of the car.” That proved important; it’s how police were able to identify, and then apprehend, the alleged shooter so quickly. That allowed police to immediately develop a suspect name and vehicle.
Police released a description of the suspect vehicle early on, writing on Twitter, “Vehicle of Interest: Black Toyota 4 door” with a Colorado license plate of Co lic NPQ 091. Police added that “occupant(s) should be considered armed. Call 911 or WPD with info 303 658 4360.” A few hours after that description was released, Webster was apprehended.
According to the search warrant, the boy who died, Vaughn, was 13, and the injured boy is 8-years-old. “When officers arrived on scene, they found two adults and two children, suffering from gunshot wounds,” police said in an early news release. “All four victims were shot in the parking lot of the business complex. There were no additional victims in any of the businesses.”
Police added, “The adult female and juvenile male are still in critical condition as of this morning.”
According to the warrant, Webster allegedly stated that he has mental health issues and just started a new prescribed medication the day of the mass shooting. He admitted he used his Glock 19 handgun to shoot the police and that he secured the firearm in the trunk of his vehicle after the shooting, the warrant alleges. The warrant says that Bigelow and her son were “in serious condition and undergoing surgeries.”
Heartbreaking scenes occurred outside the dental office where the child was killed.
Just saw a scene that brought me to tears. Brandy Navarette lives near the shooting. His 6-y/o granddaughter Lilly Diaz wanted to bring flowers for the little boy that died, she said. They brought flowers, a rosary & prayed in the parking lot. She asked me why he had to die.
The adult male who was shot was not related to the other three victims, Westminster police had previously confirmed.
The parking lot is quiet this morning. Where officers, evidence markers and police investigators swarmed yesterday now sits a baby bunny with a whimsical castle tower holding a sign for Children’s Dentistry a few feet away.
“An adult male who was shot is expected to survive his injuries. There is no relation between this victim and the below listed victims,” the police said. “An adult female and her two male children were also struck by gunfire. The female and one of the children sustained life threatening injuries and are in critical condition. A juvenile male succumbed to his injuries.”
4. A Friend Called Meghan Bigelow a ‘Fierce Champion’ Who Was on Her Way to a ‘Routine Dentist Appointment’
Meghan Bigelow with her family.
Friends and strangers filled social media with well wishes for Meghan and her family. One friend of Meghan’s asked for prayers.
“Prayer Warriors, we need your prayers,” she wrote on Facebook. “Yesterday at 3:05 pm our dear friend and leader Meghan Flynn Bigelow was in a horrific accident. While driving her children to a routine dentist appointment she was involved with a tragic accident that involved road rage. Meghan was such a fierce champion that she stayed conscious until police arrived and was able to give her phone code to the police to show a picture of the shooters license plate. The shooter has been arrested…thank goodness. Her middle son was incredible. He called 911 as well his father, he is a true hero. With complete sadness I have to tell you that Meghans oldest son (13 year old) was pronounced dead at the hospital. Meghan and her baby boy (6) are currently in surgery and in critical condition.”
She added: “We need your prayers. I don’t know what your specific beliefs are, but I know I believe in Jesus Christ and the Bigelow’s do too. We need your prayers. Prayers for healing and comfort. Keep fighting Meghan and baby boy!!! God bless and much Love!!”
Children’s Dentistry of Westminster posted a statement on Facebook. “We want to thank everyone in the community for the outpouring of support we received after the tragic and senseless incident that occurred today. We ask that you keep the victims in your thoughts and prayers. We would like to give a special thanks to the Westminster fire and police department who responded quickly and immediately took action. We are truly thankful for their efforts today. All Children’s Dentistry staff are now home and safe. Our office will be closed until Monday, June 18,” it read.
Other well-wishers filled the comment thread on Meghan Flynn Bigelow’s Facebook page. “I was so sad when I saw this on the news. I am praying for karma for the assailant, and recovery for your family. So sorry,” wrote one. Wrote another woman, “You must be the beautiful Mother of 3 boys that we are learning about on the news due a senseless act of violence that I cannot wrap my head around. I don’t know what to say, other then you & those boys are on my mind, in my thoughts & the focus of my prayers…. ❤,️?”
5. A Witness Described a Deliberate Shooting
#BREAKING Shooting reported near 80th and Sheridan in Westminster t.co/U5wCtKFjjm
9News Denver reported, “Owner of a car shop near the dentist office said he heard 7-8 ‘deliberate’ gunshots.”
James Sisneros, whose daughter was in a dentist office near the shooting when it occurred, told 9 News that she was locked inside while police investigated. He saw one of the bleeding victims.
“I [saw] one gentleman here on the side of the building,” he said to 9 News. “He didn’t look very good.”