PHOTOS: Memories, healing after tragedy at Vernon lumberyard
Charlie Bohnhoff and his granddaughter, Christa, at the longtime family-owned lumberyard in Vernon. The lumberyard was the site of shootings in May, when Alan Bohnhoff, Charlie’s son and Christa’s dad, was one of two killed. It’s a tragedy from which the family and the business are slowly recovering, at least on the surface. (Christina House / For The Times)
Yard worker Jimmy Contreras fills an order at Bohnhoff Lumber. Workers there say the business was run like a family, with retirees coming back just to visit and owner Charlie Bohnhoff lending money to employees for emergencies or to help pay for funerals. Employee Saul Moreno is accused of gunning down Bohnhoff’s son as well as the yard foreman, Jaime Sanchez, 31. (Christina House / For The Times)
A cross made by an employee in memory of Alan Bohnhoff rests in the office at Bohnhoff Lumber. Alan never yelled at you. He always kept cool, said worker Jimmy Contreras, 28. He treated us with respect. Thats one of the things we loved about him. (Christina House / For The Times)
A photo of Alan Bohnhoff is displayed on an office desk. He would have taken over the business from his father. (Christina House / For The Times)
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Martin Becerra, left, and Walt Maas go about their day in the company of Chief, the office cat. Chief was rescued as a kitten. Elsie, a Corgi mix, and a green parrot also were taken in. Just about everything here is rescued, said one former employee. (Christina House / For The Times)
William Galligan shops for wood to build a screen door for his home. Galligan is a customer of 20 years. (Christina House / For The Times)
Humberto Happy Gonzalez revisits the spot where he found co-worker Jaime Sanchez after he’d been shot to death. (Christina House / For the Times)
Gonzalez works in the yard at Bohnhoff Lumber. Employees there share stories about the co-workers they lost, but the details of what happened that day are usually off-limits. We dont talk about the shooting, said Christa Bohnhoff. We talk about my dad and Jaime but not about the shooting. (Christina House / For the Times)
