A gunman killed 10 people, including a police officer, at a grocery store in Colorado on Monday as footage showed a handcuffed man covered in blood and injured shoppers lying inside and outside the supermarket.
The incident unfolded just before 3pm local time at the King Soopers grocery store located at 3600 Table Mesa Drive.
Boulder Chief Maris Herold identified the officer who was killed in the shooting as 51-year-old Officer Eric Talley. Authorities have not identified the gunman. Identities of the other nine victims were not disclosed as police were still notifying their family members.
Herold who called Talley’s actions ‘heroic’, said he was the first on the scene when he was fatally shot. Talley had been with the Boulder Police Department since 2010.
‘My heart goes out to the victims of this incident,’ Herold said through tears. ‘I am grateful for the officers who responded.’
District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Talley’s ‘life was cut much too short’. He also expressed condolences to the families of the nine other victims and promised a ‘painstaking investigation’.
‘This is a tragedy and a nightmare for Boulder County,’ Dougherty said. ‘These were people going about their day, doing their shopping. I promise the victims and the people of the state of Colorado that we will secure justice.’
In addition, Dougherty confirmed that the shirtless and bleeding man shown in video footage after the shooting is the alleged shooter, who is in custody.
The man, who is now being treated for his injuries, was seen with blood running down his leg while he was handcuffed. No charges have been filed.
A motive for the shooting has not been determined but an AR-15 style rifle is believed to have been used.
First responders held a procession for the slain officer around 8pm local time Monday night.
Hart W. Van Denburg/Colorado Public Radio
In a statement, the King Soopers chain offered ‘thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation’.
‘We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and our store will remain closed during the police investigation,’ the statement reads.
As the incident unfolded, officers from the Boulder Police Department warned locals to ‘avoid the area’.
Police have king Soopers surrounded- multiple shooters inside #bouldershooting #kingSoopers @9NEWS #breaking news #bouldercolorado stay out of the area! @cnnbrk @dailycamera #911 pic.twitter.com/4ib9BRboQv
— Brook Aitken Cinematographer (@Brookaitken) March 22, 2021
The attack was the seventh mass killing this year in the US, following the March 16 shooting that left eight people dead at three Atlanta-area massage businesses, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.
