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Monday’s mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, comes less than a week after eight people were killed in a series of attacks on spas in Atlanta.
The two incidents are likely to spur discussion about gun control legislation in the United States, where firearm deaths are tragically common. They are also among at least seven mass shootings in the past week across the US – including three incidents on Saturday alone.
Atlanta, March 16: Eight people, including six Asian women, were killed when a White gunman stormed three spas, police said. Stockton, California, March 17: Five people who were preparing a vigil in Stockton, in California’s Central Valley, were shot in a drive-by shooting, the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Department said. None had life-threatening injuries. Gresham, Oregon, March 18: Four victims were taken to the hospital after a shooting in the city east of Portland, police said in an initial report on Twitter. Houston, March 20: Five people were shot after a disturbance inside a club, according to police. One was in critical condition after being shot in the neck, the rest were in stable condition, according to CNN affiliate KPRC. Dallas, March 20: Eight people were shot by an unknown assailant, one of whom died, according to police. Philadelphia, March 20: One person was killed and another five were injured during a shooting at an illegal party, CNN affiliate KYW reported. “There were at least 150 people in there that fled and believed they had to flee for their lives,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. Boulder, Colorado, March 22: Ten people, including a Boulder police officer, were killed in a shooting at the King Soopers supermarket, according to police.
It’s unclear how this number of mass shootings – in which at least four people were shot – compares to an average week in the US.
Though some official gun violence data is available, the US federal government does not have a centralized system or database to track firearm incidents and mass shootings nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks some gun violence data, nearly 40,000 people were killed in incidents involving firearms in 2019.
So far this year, there have been at least six mass shootings with four or more killed, including those in Atlanta and Boulder.
These are the other four:
Jan. 9: Five killed in shooting spree in Evanston, Illinois, according to CNN affiliate WLS. Jan. 24: Five people shot dead in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to police. Feb. 2: Six people killed in Muskogee, Oklahoma. March 13: Four killed in dispute over stimulus check in Indianapolis.
The father of slain Boulder police officer Eric Talley said he was not surprised his son was the first officer to arrive on the scene of a mass shooting on Monday in Boulder, Colorado.
“Didn’t surprise me he was the first one there,” Homer Talley said in a phone interview with CNN affiliate KUSA.
Eric Talley, 51, was among 10 people killed when a gunman attacked the King Soopers grocery store. Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said his actions were “nothing short of heroic.” Herold said Talley had been an officer with the Boulder Police Department since 2010.
Homer Talley said his son was a father of seven children. The eldest is age 20.
Homer Talley described his son as a “prankster” who “had a great sense of humor.” He also said Eric Talley was working to become a drone operator because he thought it would be safer.
A survivor of Monday’s mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado said he feels a “profound sense of luckiness.”
Ryan Borowski told CNN’s Don Lemon he was still processing what happened. He just went to the grocery store to buy some ice cream, he said. Borowski said he changed his mind at the last minute and went down a different aisle. He then heard the first shots, after which he started running to the back of the store.
He and several others rushed out of the store through the back, telling employees who had no idea what was going on: “Gun, gun, gun. Run, run, run.”
Watch his interview:
Colorado’s five most prominent sports teams – the NFL’s Denver Broncos, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the MLB’s Colorado Rockies and the MLS’ Colorado Rapids – issued statements reacting to Monday’s shooting in Boulder that left at least 10 people dead.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said his state was mourning the “senseless killing” of 10 people who died in a mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder Monday.
“Today we saw the face of evil. I am grieving with my community and all Coloradans,” the governor said.
Polis posted his statement to Twitter. Read it here:
Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a gun control advocate and mass shooting survivor, said Monday’s shooting in Colorado was yet another reminder that “It’s beyond time for our leaders to take action” to address gun control.
Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 when a gunman opened fire at an event in Tuscon, Arizona, while the former US Representative was speaking with her constituents. Giffords survived, but six people were killed.
“This is an especially personal tragedy for me. I survived a shooting at a grocery store, in a tragedy that devastated my beloved community of Tucson. It’s been 10 years, and countless American communities have had to face something similar,” she said. “Today it’s a tragedy in Boulder, Colorado. This past weekend it was a house party in Philadelphia. And last week it was an armed attack on Asian American women in the Atlanta area.”
The investigation into Monday’s shooting at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder was “very complex,” and would take no less than five days to complete, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said.
Ten people, including Boulder police officer Eric Talley, 51, were killed in the shooting, according to police. The suspect was taken into custody and is being treated for injuries, officials said.
Michael Dougherty, district attorney for Boulder County, said local, state, and federal partners will share in the investigation as well as prosecutors from the US Attorney’s Office.
Dougherty promised the families of the victims that he would do everything he could “to get justice in this case.”
Acting US Attorney for the District of Colorado Matthew Kirsch said Dougherty would be supported by “the full weight of federal law enforcement.”
Police officer Eric Talley, who was killed in the shooting at the King Soopers supermarket, was “by all accounts, one of the outstanding officers of the Boulder Police Department,” Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said.
Talley, 51, had been with the department since 2010, serving in numerous roles, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said. He was the first officer on the scene at the shooting, and his actions were “nothing short of heroic,” Herold said.
Authorities in Boulder, Colorado, held a late-night news conference to provide updates on the shooting at King Soopers supermarket.
Here’s what they said:
Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper said Monday that the mass shooting at the King Soopers supermarket “takes you right back to Aurora.”
“I just feel so deeply for the people. They’re worried about their loved ones, who know they have lost a loved one,” Hickenlooper told CNN’s Don Lemon. “These are the hardest events of all.”
Hickenlooper went on to describe how former President Barack Obama handled a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado that left 12 people dead and 70 injured on July 20, 2012.
“I remember President Obama came out to Aurora and spent several hours with the families and closest friends of the deceased victims,” Hickenlooper said. “At the end he told me it’s a part of his job, he’s consoler in chief.”
The Boulder police officer who was fatally shot at the King Soopers supermarket today was identified as Eric Talley by Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold.
Talley was the first officer to respond at the scene, according to Herold. He was 51 years old and had served with the Boulder Police Department since 2010, Herold said.
“He served in numerous roles supporting the Boulder Police Department and the community of Boulder,” Herold said.
“And I have to tell you the heroic action of this officer when he responded to the scene. At 1430 hours, the Border Police Department began receiving phone calls of shots fired in the area,” the chief continued. “A phone call about a possible person with a patrol rifle. Officer Talley responded to the scene, was first on the scene, and he was fatally shot.”
Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Boulder County, promised the families of the victims of the shooting at a King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, that he will do everything he can “to get justice in this case.”
“These were people going about their day, doing their shopping and their lives were cut abruptly short and tragically short by the shooter who is now in custody,” Dougherty said at a news conference.
“I hope that people of this country send the families of the loved ones their thoughts and prayers. But from my perspective, there’s more for us to do than give them thoughts and prayers. We’re going to go all out to ensure the right result is reached,” he added.
Ten people were killed in the shooting at King Soopers supermarket, including a Boulder police officer who was fatally shot, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said at a news conference this evening.
“My heart goes out to the victims of this incident,” Herold added. “I am grateful for the officers who responded.”
The police chief went on to say that she understood there is a great demand for information about the shooting, and pledged her department would work as quickly as possible to make facts known to the public.
Watch:
Police are holding a second news conference tonight regarding the shooting at King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold is expected to give remarks, the department tweeted.
What we know: Multiple people, including a Boulder police officer, were killed in the shooting, police said at a news conference earlier today. A suspect was taken into custody and is being treated for injuries, police said.
Police said they are still determining how many people died.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement that he’s angered by Monday’s shooting at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder.
“I’m deeply saddened and angered with the news of another tragic shooting in Colorado,” he said. “I’m thinking of all our fellow Coloradans in Boulder who were affected by the unspeakable violence that occurred at King Soopers on Table Mesa.”
Weiser continued: “As we learn more about the incident, I’m thankful for the brave law enforcement officials and first responders who are assisting victims, securing the scene, and putting themselves in harm’s way. Our office is standing ready and is committed to helping in any way that is useful.”
Police say “multiple people” were killed during a shooting at King Soopers supermarket, including one Boulder police officer.
They provided information at a news conference just a few minutes ago, but they said the investigation is just starting.
Here is what we don’t know:
The suspect:
The victims:
Next steps:
Watch here:
A reunification center for family members looking for missing relatives has been set up at the CU Events Center, according to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty.
The University of Colorado Police Department is helping reunite people, the Boulder Police Department said in a tweet.
The department is asking anyone who may have seen something to call police at (303) 441-3333.
Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Boulder County, called today’s shooting “a tragedy and a nightmare” and vowed to get justice for all those involved.
Speaking at a news conference alongside police, Dougherty confirmed a suspect was in custody but stressed the investigation was at a “very early stage” and there is a lot more work to do.
“Very much, this is a coordinated effort, and we will stand united in support of the victims, and their families, to ensure justice is done,” he added.
Boulder Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi said there is now no ongoing threat related to the shooting, saying “a person of interest in custody.”
“I can share with the public today, or this evening, that there is no ongoing public threat,” he said, speaking in a news conference outside the scene of the shooting.
“We do have a person of interest in custody, that person was injured during the incident, and is currently being treated for their injuries,” Yamaguchi added.
Boulder Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi said “multiple people” were killed in a shooting at King Soopers, including one Boulder police officer.
“We had a very tragic incident today here at the King Soopers,” he said at a news conference on Monday. “During this trying time, I would ask the media and the public to honor the privacy of the officer’s family and his coworkers here at the police department.”
He said the quick response from law enforcement from around the area saved lives.
Yamaguchi said officers arrived “within minutes of the initial 911 calls and entered the building very quickly.”
“Without that quick response, we don’t know if there would have been more loss of life,” he said.
The Boulder Police Department is holding a news conference on the shooting at the King Soopers supermarket.
Earlier, Boulder police asked residents near 17th and Grove to “shelter in place” while they responded to reports of an “armed, dangerous individual,” police tweeted.
“PD is investigating to determine if this is related to King Soopers shooting,” they tweeted.
Kroger, which owns the King Soopers supermarket brand in the Rocky Mountain area, said in a statement that it is “horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless violence” that occurred at their store in Boulder.
“The entire Kroger family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation,” the company said in the statement that was posted on Twitter.
“We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and our store will remain closed during the police investigation,” it added, saying it is referring all questions to the Boulder Police Department.
Local 7, the King Soopers employee union, also said on Twitter that they are praying for the workers and shoppers, including 32 of their members who work at the store.
“Today our community experienced a senseless act of violence that caused an unnecessary loss of life in Boulder’s vibrant community. It is with deep sadness we mourn the victims and their families who have lost loved ones today, including the heroic Boulder police officer who died in the line of duty. We are forever grateful to the grocery workers, customers, and the first responders who acted swiftly to prevent even greater loss of life–protecting our members and all those in danger inside the store,” Kim Cordova, president of the local UFCW union, said in a statement.
One law enforcement officer was killed in the shooting at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, two law enforcement sources tell CNN.
One senior law enforcement source also says the weapon used in the shooting was an AR-15 style rifle.
Kevin Daly, an area business owner who helped people escape the shooting at King Soopers grocery store, said he has never seen anything like this happen in the Boulder community.
“We are a loving, hippie community that believes in kindness,” he told CNN on Monday.
“It’s one of those things where you think about everything you can do better. We’re not really trained for this,” Daly added.
Daly was at his restaurant, which is located a “few hundred feet” away from the supermarket, getting ready to reopen after being closed because of the pandemic when he looked out the window.
He said he saw a “ton of police just pulling in really quickly.”
That’s when he called his staff and told them to shelter in place.
“I don’t want to get political but this shouldn’t have to happen in America,” he said.
President Biden has been briefed on the shooting reported at the King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Monday.
She went on to say the President “will be kept up to date by his team as there are additional developments.”
Video taken by an eyewitness to the Boulder, Colorado, supermarket shooting appears to show people lying on the ground inside and outside the store, and purported gunshots are heard.
The video, taken by Dean Schiller, is part of a longer live stream that he took as the shooting progressed and police arrived.
In the excerpt, Schiller is heard calling out saying that people need to call 9-1-1.
“We don’t know if there’s a shooter — active shooter, active shooter somewhere,” Schiller said in the video.
Schiller is heard on the video asking what appears to be a store employee whether a shooter went into the store.
Here’s how that conversation played out:
“Yeah, he went in there,” the man responded.
“He went in the store?” Schiller asked.
“He went right down there,” the man responds.
“Oh my god,” Schiller reacts. “People we got people down inside Kings Soopers.”
Schiller then says, “Look there’s-,” but doesn’t finish his sentence as two gunshots stop his speaking.
Some background: Boulder Police had tweeted earlier on Monday there was an, “Active Shooter at the King Soopers on Table Mesa. AVOID THE AREA.”
CNN affiliate KMGH’s helicopter recorded a shirtless man being taken from the supermarket. The man had what appears to be blood on his arm and right leg and his hands appeared to be cuffed behind him as two officers escorted him away. The man was taken away in an ambulance.
Ryan Borowski, one of the people inside the King Soopers grocery store when a shooter starting firing shots, said everyone helped each other get out of the back of the store.
He said he heard two loud sounds, and by the third one, he and the people around him realized they were gunshots. He said they started running to the back of the store and employees helped them out the back door.
“We told employees what was going on so everybody helped each other and we just ran to safety as quickly as we could,” Borowski told CNN from behind the store in Boulder, Colorado, about two hours after the shooting.
Borowski said he was going to get ice cream, but then changed his mind and started walking the other way.
“I didn’t see the shooter. I saw terrified faces running towards me and that’s when I turned and ran the other direction,” he said.
He said everyone was helping each other, but while some people ran, others froze.
“We ran and I don’t know why other people didn’t and I am sorry that they froze and I just wish that this didn’t happen – I wish I had an answer for why it did,” he said.
He said he could have never imagined a situation like this happening in Boulder.
“Boulder feels like a bubble and the bubble burst and that’s heartbreaking. To think that people died today,” Borowski said. Police have not confirmed whether anyone was killed.
“This feels like the safest spot in America and I just nearly got killed for getting a soda, you know, and a bag of chips. Doesn’t feel good,” he added.
Watch here:
FBI Denver personnel are on scene helping the Boulder Police Department, according to a tweet.
“At the request of the Boulder Police Department, FBI Denver personnel are assisting with an investigation into an active shooter situation at a King Soopers grocery store on Table Mesa Drive in Boulder,” the agency tweeted.
CNN’s Lucy Kafanov reported seeing FBI agents on the scene at the supermarket.
CNN affiliate KCNC reporter Conor McCue spoke with a man whose family was inside the King Soopers pharmacy to get a Covid-19 vaccine when the shooter arrived. He said they hid in a closet for an hour before being rescued through the roof.
“I got the call from my daughter and my grandchildren that my son-in-law walked into the pharmacy for him to get a Covid-19 shot and the shooter came in, shot the woman in front of them,” the man told KCNC.
“They hid, ran upstairs, were hiding in a coat closet for the last hour,” he said. “They are okay. They just are now out the back,” he added.
He said his daughter was texting him from the closet, before turning her phone off.
“They were texting, hiding in the coat closet. Turned their phone off and were going ‘we’re hiding, we’re okay’ you know, ‘don’t call’ you know the phone would ring and give away their position,” he said.
Boulder Community Health says they have had one patient transported to their facility from the shooting at King Soopers, Rich Sheehan, a spokesperson with Boulder Community Health, told CNN.
Sheehan said he is not able to release details about the person’s condition.
Boulder Community Health is a Level II Trauma Center.
We don’t know about the conditions of anyone else in the store at this time.
Boulder, Colorado, Mayor Sam Weaver thanked police officers and first responders at the scene of an active shooter, saying “words can do no justice to the tragedy that has unfolded this afternoon.”
“Our community will soon grieve our losses, and begin our healing. Our brave police officers and first responders have the gratitude of our entire city,” Weaver said in a tweet on Monday.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said earlier that he is “closely watching” as events unfold.
Boulder police say the scene is still “very active,” but we do not know a lot of information about what happened – including the conditions of people inside the store.
Boulder police are urging people to stay inside because the scene at King Soopers is still “very active” as they respond to reports of an active shooter.
“Please avoid the area of Table Mesa & Broadway! This is still a very active scene,” Boulder police tweeted moments ago. “Do NOT broadcast on social media any tactical information you might see.”
CNN affiliate KMGH’s helicopter also filmed several people led away from the King Soopers store by police. SWAT vehicles were also seen moving about, and multiple officers were in tactical positions around the store’s exterior.
Police were also seen moving on the roof of the store, the purposes for the roof movements are unclear.
An eyewitness told CNN affiliate KCNC he was inside the King Sooper grocery store at the time of the shooting.
He described an urgent, but orderly escape from the store.
He told KCNC: “We weren’t tripping over each other, but we were single file just you know, somebody had their hand on my back, I had my hand on somebody’s back, and we were just saying go, go, go, run.”
The witness told the TV station that he went to the store to grab a soda and chips, when he heard “one loud bang, thought somebody just dropped something an employee or something, and then another, and then by the third one, everybody was running.”
Phil Mudd, a former FBI senior intelligence adviser, said at this point in the investigation, police are concerned with two primary things: Making sure the building is secure and finding the shooter, or shooters.
“Right now, you’ve got to ensure this is the only person – if they picked up something already – and that the facility is secure,” he told CNN on Monday as law enforcement are responding to the situation.
He said this is not an easy task, and it will take time to make sure it is safe.
“In a building of that size, that you can clear the building and guarantee that nobody else is in there, think about every storage component in that building, every refrigerated room. It will take a while to clear it,” Mudd said.
Charles Ramsey, a former Philadelphia police commissioner, said officials need to make sure the building is secure before releasing more information.
“They may give some preliminary information, but it won’t be much. It will be pretty sketchy at this point in time. These scenes are very chaotic in the early stages. So it’s got to settle down,” he said.
“Number one is clear the scene, make sure you eliminate whatever threat may be there and that that building is totally secure,” Ramsey added.
Watch here:
The University of Colorado Hospitals has a helicopter and possible ground crews on the scene of the shooting in Boulder, spokesperson Dan Weaver told CNN.
Weaver said they have a helicopter and possibly ground ambulances on scene but have not transported anyone as of yet.
University of Colorado Hospitals operates a Level 1 Trauma Center in Aurora, Colorado, which is 35 miles from Boulder.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he is “closely watching” the events at King Soopers in Boulder unfold as law enforcement from across the area respond to an active shooter situation.
“My prayers are with our fellow Coloradans in this time of sadness and grief as we learn more about the extent of the tragedy,” Polis tweeted.
In a statement on Twitter, the governor said the state is making “every public safety resource available” to assist.
He also asked for patience as law enforcement works to secure the building.
“Right now, the biggest priority is to let local law enforcement and the City of Boulder do their work and ensure the safety of those involved,” the statement said.
Police say there is still an active scene. They have set up a media staging area at the intersection of Broadway and Table Mesa. Officials are still urging people to stay away from the area.
Read Polis’ statement:
CNN affiliate KMGH’s helicopter filmed a shirtless man being taken from King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, this afternoon.
It is unclear if the man was involved in the reported active shooting inside the store. The man had what appeared to be blood on his arm and right leg and his hands were cuffed behind him as two officers escorted him away. The man was taken away in an ambulance.
Ambulances and multiple law enforcement agencies are currently outside the store.
A CNN producer also reported that police were heard over speakerphone tell someone in a car to please sit up straight and turn themselves in.
Watch here:
Rep. Joe Neguse, who represents Boulder, Colorado, said that he is praying for the community and “all of the first responders and law enforcements responding to this terrible incident.”
Right now, Boulder police say there is an active shooter at a grocery store on Table Mesa Drive. Aerial video from the scene showed a massive police response and at least six ambulances.
Read the tweet:
The Jefferson County sheriff’s office said they are assisting Boulder police on the scene of an active shooter at a grocery store.
The sheriff’s office tweeted that they were responding and asked people to avoid the area.
Police in Boulder, Colorado, tweeted Monday that there is an “Active Shooter at the King Soopers on Table Mesa.”
Police urged residents to avoid the area.
King Soopers is a supermarket brand of Kroger in the Rocky Mountain area.
