Route 76 riders shaken as union supports driver after fatal Lakewood shooting

Regular passengers on RTD Route 76 are grappling with a fatal shooting aboard a bus Thursday night in Lakewood. Lakewood police agent Nicholas Graham was killed, and three other agents and one passenger were injured. At Colfax and Wadsworth, flowers and crime scene tape remained as visible reminders of the shooting.

For Nate Weickum, who regularly uses the route, the news carried a personal connection. He told Denver7 that Graham had spoken with him earlier on the day of the shooting. Weickum described feeling frightened by how abruptly someone he had just encountered could be gone.

The impact has also been felt among transit employees. Ronald Short, of ATU 1001, the union representing RTD workers, said the union began helping as soon as it learned about the shooting Thursday night. He described the incident as a tragedy for which workers could not fully prepare.

Short told Denver7 that the bus driver was physically unharmed but had witnessed a traumatic event. He praised the operator for maintaining composure as the situation unfolded quickly and said the union would provide the support the driver needed. The shooting, he said, had shaken the broader community of transit workers.

The incident has brought renewed attention to safety across the RTD system. Denver7 asked the agency whether it planned to introduce additional safety measures but had not received a response. Short, however, said he believed RTD was taking the appropriate steps, describing transit as safe and reliable and saying past problems had been addressed or remained under review.

Training is part of that work, according to Short. He said RTD provides refresher courses covering different parts of employees' jobs, and that the union welcomes opportunities for operators to learn more about responding to situations like the shooting. His comments emphasized the need for continued preparation.

Short said drivers must manage both road traffic and the people aboard their buses, while facing uncertainty about who might enter and what could happen. For Weickum, that uncertainty has become more immediate. As he processed the shooting, he urged fellow passengers to exercise greater caution when riding.

The union plans to continue supporting its members in the coming days. Short said RTD is also making counseling available to employees working on Route 76. Alongside that support, those affected expressed condolences to Lakewood police as the department mourns Graham.