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I-25 Shooting Victim: 'Hardest Part Is Just Not Knowing Who's Out There'

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4)- The surviving victim in one of two roadside shootings that have been linked says the most frightening thing for her is the fact that it seems random.

"Probably the hardest part is just not knowing who is out there," said shooting survivor Cori Romero.

Cori Romero
Cori Romero (credit: CBS)

The 21-year-old was shot in the neck while driving home from work in Fort Collins near Interstate 25 on April 23.

Investigators have linked that shooting to the May 18 deadly shooting of John Jacoby in Windsor. Jacoby was riding his bicycle that morning when he was shot twice. The FBI has offered a $10,000 reward in the case. Both shootings remain unsolved.

"Even in the beginning I knew it could have ended differently. You don't realize how close you come to that being the ending," said Romero.

Cori Romero John Jacoby
Windsor police have linked Cori Romero's shooting and John Jacoby's shooting (credit: CBS)

Romero said there is no connection between her and the other victim. The shootings happened at different times of the day, Jacoby, 48, was targeted on a rural road while Romero was on Harmony Road in Fort Collins trying to merge onto I-25.

Windsor Bike Fatality Larry
The scene Monday morning (credit: CBS)

"Every day it's kind of in the back of my mind, I kind of just push it to the back, because it happened already and I have to deal with the fact that it happened," said Romero. "Now if it happened again that would be a little bit harder to deal with... Just taking it day-by-day and not letting it get to me."

Initially Romero said she wanted to believe whoever was behind it was only trying to scare her. Even after hearing of numerous windows mysteriously shattering along I-25 and in northern Colorado, she held out hope.

SHATTERED WINDOW SCARE 5P3KG
Randy Lingbloom's shattered window (credit: CBS)

"You don't want to think that somebody is out there intentionally hurting somebody," said Romero.

Investigators have so far no found no evidence of gunshots in those cases.

Romero said Jacoby's shooting changed everything.

"It was so hard to hear... exactly what I didn't want to happen was someone else to get hurt," said Romero.

Police said they have recovered evidence that links the shootings but did not specify what that evidence is so they don't tarnish the investigation.

"We just happened to be in one of those places where nobody was around, it was just us," said Romero.

Cori Romero I-25 shooting victim
Cori Romero gives a thumbs up from her hospital room after being shot in the neck (credit: Lesley Quezada)

Romero said she is not letting the shooting control her life and refuses to live in fear. She hopes the community is strong enough to do the same, "It's terrible when something like that is shattered. That sense of security is broken."

Windsor police are still looking for witnesses on County Road 15 between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on May 18 when Jacoby was shot.

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