BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Dozens gathered at the McKay Bike Park in Broomfield to honor Vaughn "Bubba" Bigelow. In 2018, Bigelow was shot and killed by Jeremy Webster.
In 2018, Meghan Bigelow was driving her three sons to a dentist appointment in Westminster. Webster got mad that she tried to get into his lane when pulling over for an emergency vehicle. He followed them to the dentist and opened fire in the parking lot.
Meghan Bigelow was shot in the head. Her 7-year-old son was hurt and her 13-year-old son Vaughn, whom they called Bubba, was killed.
In April a jury found Webster guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison.
"April 27 brought us, after 1,777 days, justice for Bubba," Meghan Bigelow told a crowd on Saturday. "His shooter is in jail for the rest of his life."
On July 8, what would have been Bubba's 19th birthday, the Bigelow family honored him. They handed out an annual scholarship awarded to a high schooler in his name. They also unveiled a plaque just before the big drop at the McKay Bike Park, a place he visited often.
"The joy of our Bubba was taken from us too soon. He loved this bike park at McKay Lake, the water, and the freedom of being outside. We remember him as a rider, a swimmer, a water polo player, and a friend with a big heart, a bigger smile, and the biggest personality," the plaque reads. "Enjoy the bike park as Bubba did, pedaling fast and flying through the air with your friends."
"He loved this bike park at McKay Lake, the water and freedom of being outside," Meghan added. "It's been five years in the making, so we’re glad to have it here in the remembrance of Bubba kind of overseeing the park and the water, he loved water."
Meghan told 9NEWS since the sentencing, she has felt she has entered a new phase of grief, one that allows her to remember the good moments.
"I definitely smile more often. It's taken a while to get there, obviously, but there are times where we're sitting at dinner just telling Bubba stories," she explained. "Kind of moving on to the other side of the grief of it not being so heavy. It's a little more lighthearted."
The family said they will continue to honor Bubba. Big Waves Inc. was founded in his memory. The non-profit advocates for gun safety in honor of Bubba and awards scholarships to water polo athletes who live in Colorado.
Meghan has dubbed July 8th as "lock your gun day." The group supplies free gun locks for anyone that needs it. This year the goal is to have a Big Waves gun lock in all 50 states. So far, they have 41.
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