Boulder grocery massacre leaves 10 dead including cop, suspect in custody
Ten people were killed, including a veteran police officer, during a mass shooting Monday inside a grocery store in Boulder, Colo., authorities said at a late news conference.
The officer was identified as Eric Talley, 51, who served on the force since 2010. He was the first officer at King Soopers, the crime scene, after the shooting occurred at about 2:30 p.m. His actions were called heroic.
Talley was the father of seven, his youngest seven years old, his father told the Denver Channel.
"He loved his kids and his family more than anything," his father said.
The suspect, who was not identified, is receiving medical treatment. Officers had escorted a shirtless man with blood running down his leg out of the store in handcuffs but authorities would not say if he was the suspect.
Identities of the other nine victims were not disclosed as police were still notifying their family members.
Authorities said that they are working to compile evidence. Several state and county law enforcement agencies were assisting Boulder police as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, tweeted that President Biden has been informed about the shooting and will be receiving updates if there are additional developments.
Witnesses told FOX 31 Denver that they heard pops that sounded similar to fireworks and saw a man brandishing an "AR-15 style weapon" and wearing what looked like tactical gear.
KCNC-TV reported that family members were in line for the COVID-19 vaccine inside the store's pharmacy at the time of the shooting.
A witness told The Associated Press he had just left the supermarket when he heard gunshots and saw three people lying face down, two in the parking lot and one near the doorway. He said he "couldn't tell if they were breathing."
Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are also heard at the beginning of the video.
Authorities could also be seen leading at least one other person out of the store and pressing him against the exterior wall of the building before walking away with him. He did not appear to be handcuffed.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, said she was praying for "employees, first responders & others affected by the shooting in Boulder."
Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said his "heart is breaking" over the incident.
"My heart is breaking as we watch this unspeakable event unfold in our Boulder community," he said. "We are making every public safety resource available to assist the Boulder County Sheriff's Department as they work to secure the store. I’m incredibly grateful to the brave men and women who have responded to the scene to help the victims of this senseless tragedy."
Colorado coach Tad Boyle said he "felt an emptiness" in his stomach while trying to guide the Buffaloes to a victory in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Monday in the midst of a supermarket shooting in Boulder.
Boyle spoke to reporters about the shooting in the city where the school is located. At least 10 people were killed, including a police officer and authorities said a suspect was in custody. He called the shooting a "senseless act of violence."
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