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Bus stop shooting victim remembered as 'good-hearted' man who liked to play guitar

Family members: David Lara hung out with homeless
David Lara Photos & Candles
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DENVER -- Family members say a 59-year old man, who was shot and killed while waiting for a bus on South Federal Boulevard last week, was good-hearted and loved to play the guitar.

"He was just waiting for the bus to come, minding his own business," said Rosita Cordova, the victim's daughter.

Police say two men were shot late in the afternoon on April 1, at the intersection of South Federal and West Alameda.

David Lara Flower Memorial

Cordova said her father, David Lara, frequently visited friends in the area.

She said she is struggling to come to terms with his death.

David Lara

"I've been crying off and on for the last 3 or 4 days," she said.

Lara, and another would-be bus passenger, De'Angelo Tafoya, 22, were at the bus stop when a car with three adults and a child drove by.

One of the occupants allegedly fired out the window.

"It just saddens me that people just do dumb things and take innocent people from us," Cordova said.

She told Denver7 that her father had been homeless off and on for about a year.

"He just wanted to do his own thing for awhile, and we tried to be there for him as much as we could," she said.

Cordova added that her father played the guitar and was even in a band when he was younger.

"He knows how to play drums, guitar, and keyboards," she said. "He can also sing."

Cordova teared up as she shared memories of her dad taking the family on camping trips, fishing expeditions and family get togethers.

"We have a lot of good memories," she said. "We're just going to miss making more."

Denver7 reported on the other Victim last Wednesday.

De'Angelo Tafoya was just 22-years old, and had been working hard so he could take his daughter on vacation to Cancun.

Denver Police arrested two suspects just minutes after the shooting.

Tlaloc and Elias Chavez, both 22, are being held without bond, for investigation of First Degree Murder.

"I'm just really mad that they took somebody important," Cordova said. "They would feel the pain if it was the other way around."

She said she's trying not to feel angry, but it's hard not to.

"It's not good," she said.

"We had him our whole lives and now he's gone. We just have to sit and remember him from day to day, remember his music and his singing," she said.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with Lara's funeral expenses.