Family mourns 25-year-old employee killed in shooting at Springfield tactical store

Sweet and down-to-earth. That's how Cavin Loderhose described his 25-year-old brother Colin Loderhose, who police say was killed in a shooting at Anchor Tactical Supply in Springfield on Wednesday morning. 

"He was the uncle everybody loved. He was the brother everybody loved," Cavin Loderhose said. "He was a genuinely, genuinely sweet human being. He was a lover, not a fighter." 

Colin Loderhose was the youngest of three and worked at Anchor Tactical Supply, according to his brother. He loved guns and going shooting and was starting a holster business with one of his friends, according to his brother.

"He was super passionate about shooting, and I know that sounds really ironic given what the situation is, but that's just who he was," Cavin Loderhose said. 

Colin Loderhose also was a member of Springfield Fight Club, a mixed martial arts training center, which he joined after his father died of colon cancer in 2018, according to his brother. 

"It was a hobby that he picked up after our father died," Cavin Loderhose said. "He got into mixed martial arts right after that and fell in love with it." 

Cavin Loderhose said his brother's loving personality made him a great uncle to his nieces and nephews. 

"He was their wrestling buddy, their fighting buddy. He was that uncle everyone smiled about and when he came in the room they'd shout 'Uncle Colin, Uncle Colin'. All the kids loved him," Cavin Loderhose said. "I'm going to miss my kids growing up with an uncle." 

His brother loved his family deeply, Cavin Loderhose said, but especially his mom. 

More:1 dead, 2 arrested in shooting at tactical supply store in Springfield

"He loved his momma, my goodness he loved his momma," Cavin Loderhose said. "We always used to laugh about it. We always said he was momma's favorite, but man, he loved his momma big." 

Though there are so many memories Cavin Loderhose said he will hold onto as he remembers his brother, one that sticks out took place at the wedding of their sister, Kelsey Cottengim, in 2019, six months after their father had passed away. 

"He wrote her a beautiful, beautiful tribute song. He played it on his guitar and brought all 200 guests to tears," he said. "My sister had no idea about it. Being the oldest I had the first dance with her, while Colin was playing it behind us."

Cavin Loderhose said writing that song just sums up who his brother was as a person. 

"No one asked him to do that," he said. "I think that is going to be one that sticks out for both me and her. That moment was so raw. There was so much emotion and so much love kind of all wrapped into one that, that's what we're going to remember." 

Cavin Loderhose said there isn't just one specific thing he is going to miss about Colin Loderhose. 

"I'm gonna miss my brother," he said. "I'm going to miss him for who he was. I think what is most upsetting looking forward is that he's not going to be at my wedding. My wedding was Saturday, me and my fiancee were supposed to get married this Saturday." 

Cavin Loderhose said Colin will be buried at White Chapel, where their father is buried, but no specific funeral arrangements have been made at this time. 

On Thursday, prosecutors charged 20-year-old Zachary Cano with first-degree murder in Colin Loderhose's death. They say Cano shot Colin Loderhose after Cano and his friend were kicked out of the store because of a prior stealing incident.

Jordan Meier covers public safety for the Springfield News-Leader. Contact her at jmeier@news-leader.com, or on Twitter @Jordan_Meier644.