Tattoo studio in Denver closes 2.5 years after shooting involving owner and manager

DENVER – Sol Tribe Tattoo & Piercing in Denver closed its doors for the last time Tuesday, about 2.5 years after the owner and jewelry manager were killed in a shooting.

On December 27, 2021, a gunman killed five people and injured three others, including a police officer, in a shooting spree that spanned across Denver and ended in Lakewood. Sol Tribe owner Alicia Cardenas, 44, and jewelry manager Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado, 35, were the first two people killed in the shooting spree.

Alfredo Cardenas said his daughter opened her first tattoo studio when she was 19 and then moved to the new space, where she worked for 15 to 20 years. The studio has an “excellent reputation,” he said.

She was also a muralist, he said, and there are several murals bearing her name throughout the city.

“She was a real leader in her community. Many people turn to her when they need advice and information about tattooing and tattoo hygiene. She was a kind of pioneer in this field,” said Alfredo Cardenas said, “But she had friends all over the world. She literally traveled all over the world, well, across the oceans at least, giving workshops on tattoo hygiene and stuff like that. She will be missed very much.”

Alyssa will be remembered for her impact on the tattoo and yoga community. In December 2021, a verified GoFundMe page was set up for the family to help with funeral expenses, medical bills and support for the couple’s son. As of Tuesday, the page is still open for donations.

Alyssa’s husband, a Sol Tribe artist, was injured in the shooting. He survived his injuries after spending time in a hospital’s intensive care unit.

The tattoo studio announced its sudden closure in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“Sol Tribe is officially closed as of today. We want to thank you, our amazing customers and friends, for an incredible 15 years of piercing and tattooing,” the photo captioned. “You all supported us through hell, in our hardest moments, and we will never forget that. We are stunned and heartbroken by this news.”

In the caption, Sol Tribe explained the closure by saying: “We thought we had another month to sort out the details before Sol Tribe closed permanently, but that was not the case. We are completely devastated.”

All of the Sol Tribe tattoo artists and piercers are either joining other studios or taking the plunge and opening their own studios, the Instagram post says.

---

The follow-up measures

What do you think Denver7 should cover in more detail? Is there a story, topic or issue you think we should revisit? Let us know using the contact form below.