On February 12, 2000, Newsflash ran a story about the death of a 42 year old man who had been shot and killed in a Wal-Mart parking lot five days earlier. Richard Loiacono was shopping at the new Wal-Mart supercenter in Castle Rock, Colorado. Loiacono was murdered by someone he knew, part of a bitter divorce battle. The man who kiled Loiacono chased him through the Wal-Mart store, past an off-duty policeman, and out into the parking lot. Loiacono was yelling that his assailant was wanted by the police. Once in the parking lot, the assailant raced to his green Toyota hatchback, pulled out a handgun, and killed Loiacono on the spot. As authorities closed in, the murderer then shot and killed himself. We wrote at the time that the Castle Rock murder at Wal-Mart was just a piece of a larger security issue facing many large retailers today. Wal-Mart says they have adequate security in their parking lots — but it was not enough to save the life of Richard Loiacono. Now, almost five years later, I received the following email about Loiacono’s death, from Kristen Ketterling: “I came across your page in google. I am writing in regards to the 2000-02-12 Castle Rock, CO. Murder in the Wal-Mart Parking Lot. I am a long-time friend of this family, more than 20 years and am very close to this family. This was a loss that tore us to pieces. The town in which this happened is a small, close-knit community: business owners are members of the chamber of commerce and all businesses owners know each other. The day after this occurence, all businesses in the town were sending their condolences. Safeway and King Soopers to name a few. All acknowledged our loss and respectfully offered sympathies — with the exception of Wal Mart. Wal Mart never acknowledged this even happened in their parking lot. As a company that boasts doing things for people and communities, I was shocked they did not even offer a “we are sorry for your loss”. They could have set up scholarships for the 2 young children (1 a baby), offered a word of sympathy, anything. Wal Mart was silent. Since this day, I have not shopped in a Wal-Mart. This is not a company in business to support their communities, this is a company out to make the bottom line as large as it can be — small businesses, jobs, PEOPLE be damned. I appreciate your website because Wal Marts practices are underhanded and are costing this country jobs and causing business owners their businesses. Thank you for your time. Kristen Ketterling.”
When I asked Kristen Ketterling for permission to use her story on this website, her response was, “You may absolutely print my email with my name. I make no secret of how I feel about Wal-Mart, and will stand behind it to anyone. I use every chance I get to try to make people feel like they are making a mistake shopping at Wal-Mart, regardless of the savings. Most do not utter the words Wal-Mart in my presence. Thank you for the work you do to open people’s eyes.” You won’t see the story of Richard Loiacono on any Wal-Mart TV ad. This company spends millions of dollars on image advertising every week, yet it could not even afford a $1.75 condolence card to the family of a man who was chased through their store and killed in their parking lot. Wal-Mart likes to say “our people make the difference.” From Kristen Ketterling’s perspective, perhaps that slogan should read: “Our people make indifference.”
