Victims of Colorado massacre remembered with poignant stories

Aurora, Colorado (CNN) -- Stories of heroism, zest for life, a birthday celebration that turned tragic have unfolded as family and friends recall loved ones killed in Friday's mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater.

Also emerging was the story of Hugo, who was born Tuesday.

Almost all of the 12 victims were young -- including a 6-year-old girl who had just learned to swim.

The cause of death in all cases is related to gunshot wounds, according to the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office.

Remembering the victims through photos, memories

Jonathan T. Blunk, 26

Blunk served for five years in the U.S. Navy. He had been planning to fly Saturday to Reno, Nevada, to see his wife, Chantel, his 4-year-old daughter and his 2-year-old son.

"We were going to have a family day," Chantel Blunk said.

Instead, she put away the dress her daughter had picked out to wear to the airport. "I tried to tell her we wouldn't see Daddy anymore, but that he would still love us and look over us."

The couple married in 2007 and separated in 2010, she said. They remained on good terms after Jonathan moved to Colorado. Blunk died shielding his girlfriend from the gunfire inside the theater.

Chantel Blunk said she wants her husband to have a military funeral. She said she will remember Jonathan's humor, spontaneity and attention to family. "We love him and he is going to be remembered as a hero," she said.

Video: Blunk was a hero

Alexander J. Boik, 18

A Facebook page was created in memory of Boik, a Gateway High School student who was at the theater with his girlfriend and a friend.

"AJ was an awesome kid and a truly Inspirational teammate," one Facebook entry said. "You cant find someone with a brighter smile and more positive outlook on life. There to help you up when your down and One to carry on life with such an intelligence."

Boik was an independent distributor for Organo Gold, a coffee company, and lived in Aurora, according to what appears to be his personal Facebook page.

James Crofter, father of Jordan Crofter, Boik's friend who survived the shooting, said Jordan and Boik played lacrosse together. Boik's girlfriend also was in the theater. She and Jordan found each other outside the theater, but Boik did not make it out.

One victim's account: What happened inside the theater

Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesse E. Childress, 29

Childress, an Air Force reservist, was a cybersystems operator on active duty with the 310th Force Support Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado. He was from Thornton, Colorado.

Jesse Childress, 29, an Air Force reservist, was a cybersystems operator on active duty.

"Jesse was an invaluable part of the 310th family," said Lt. Col. Pat Walsh, who was Childress' supervisor, according to The Washington Post. "He literally touched everyone in the wing -- over 1,000 people."

Three of Childress' Air Force colleagues traveled from Buckley to honor him at a memorial near the theater, The Denver Post reported.

"He was a huge part of our unit, and this is a terrible loss. The person that did this was an incredible coward," said Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Schwald, according to the Denver newspaper. She declined to give her first name.