One of the survivors of Sunday’s early-morning shooting at the Youth With a Mission dormitory in Arvada came out of surgery to remove a bullet in his neck Tuesday with flying colors, said a childhood friend.
Dan Griebenow was talking the night after the surgery and didn’t have to undergo a tracheotomy as was originally feared, Stephanie Clinch said. Griebenow was even planning a trip to the movies, she said.
“That’s Dan for you,” Clinch said of her friend’s good spirits. “God has been first in his life for many years and will be for the rest of his life.”
The better-than-expected surgery outcome is especially good news for Griebenow, who fronts a Christian rock band and performed at Clinch’s wedding, she said.
The two grew up together Rapid City, S.D., and as long as she could remember, Griebenow thought of others before himself, Clinch said.
Griebenow had a dream to buy a piece of property in Rapid City and build a Christian skate park, Clinch said. He never got enough money saved to build the park, she said, but even now, Griebenow still plans to do it.
“A lot of people would laugh at him when he would start to talk about it, but anything can happen to this guy,” Clinch said. “He’s not my blood brother, but he will always be my brother by choice.”
Cassie Hewlings: 303-954-1638 or chewlings@denverpost.com.
