America saw yet another senseless mass shooting on Monday, leaving ten people dead in Boulder, Colorado, including a police officer responding to the event.
According to witnesses, a gunman armed with an “AR-15 style weapon” and wearing tactical-like gear opened fire inside a King Soopers grocery store in the middle of the afternoon.
Shoppers were left scrambling for cover or to exit the store as shots rang out. Boulder police officer Eric Talley, 51, the first officer on the scene, was killed. Talley had seven children, with the youngest being seven-years-old, according to his father, Homer Talley
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold tearfully announced the fatalities, to include one of her own, as she praised the “heroic action of this officer.”
“Officer Talley responded to the scene, was the first at the scene and he was fatally shot,” she said. “I also want to commend the heroic actions of the officers responding not only from Boulder P.D., but from across the county and other parts of the region.”
(Video: CNN)
The elder Talley said his son loved his children, and was in the process of trying to move off the front line, according to the Denver Channel.
“He took his job as a police officer very seriously,” he said. “He had seven children. The youngest is 7 year old. He loved his kids and his family more than anything. He joined the police force when he was 40 years old. He was looking for a job to keep himself off of the front lines and was learning to be a drone operator. He didn’t want to put his family through something like this and he believed in Jesus Christ.”
Rest In peace Officer Eric Talley. Your service will never be forgotten #BoulderShooting pic.twitter.com/FVximvhS2E
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) March 23, 2021
A suspect has been arrested, although authorities have not released his name.
A man in handcuffs was seen on video being led away from the store. The man was wearing shorts with no shirt or shoes on. He had a bloody leg and was taken away by ambulance.
It’s not entirely clear if this was the suspected gunman.
#Boulder police arrest suspected shooter who injured three people inside a supermarket in #Colorado 🇺🇲 pic.twitter.com/nKdqDqn6kZ
— Xiao International News (@news_xiao) March 22, 2021
Shoppers in shock over the shooting described their harrowing experiences to the media, with one man saying, “I nearly got shot for getting a soda and a bag of chips.”
Ryan Borowski tells Erin Burnett he almost got killed today in Boulder, Colorado just for walking into a grocery store to get a soda and a bag of chips 💔 pic.twitter.com/lI42iSEyjo
— The Chat (@LiveOnTheChat) March 23, 2021
David tells me he was getting sushi at the King Soopers when he heard gun shots. He ran and hid behind a urinal in the closest bathroom. This is the painful moments he’s describing as he hid and heard gunshots. #bouldershooting @KDVR @channel2kwgn pic.twitter.com/lhlF58T78X
— Nicole Fierro (@FierroNicole) March 23, 2021
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., an avid Second Amendment supporter, took to social media to denounce the “senseless violence” while calling for unity.
“As we continue to hear the news coming out of Boulder, I’m praying for the police, first responders, and those affected by this tragedy,” she tweeted. “May God be with us as we make sense of this senseless violence, and may we unify and not divide during this time.”
As we continue to hear the news coming out of Boulder, I’m praying for the police, first responders, and those affected by this tragedy.
May God be with us as we make sense of this senseless violence, and may we unify and not divide during this time.
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) March 22, 2021
After long decrying “thoughts and prayers” offered to victims of mass shootings, a number of Democratic officials extended their prayers for those involved, including Gov. Jared Polis and Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet.
Like my fellow Coloradans, I am closely watching unfolding events at King Soopers in Boulder. My prayers are with our fellow Coloradans in this time of sadness and grief as we learn more about the extent of the tragedy.
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) March 22, 2021
We’re closely monitoring the ongoing situation in Boulder. Grateful for all of our first responders on the scene and praying for the officers and individuals who are inside the grocery store. https://t.co/vk4PFgswFM
— Senator John Hickenlooper (@SenatorHick) March 22, 2021
We’re monitoring this tragic situation and our prayers are with the Boulder community. https://t.co/xyTIJfVMiu
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) March 22, 2021
Colorado has seen a number of similar shootings, beginning with the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 that claimed 13 lives, and the 2012 shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, where 12 people died.
Both of these shootings were within 70 miles of Boulder.
There was a parade of Democrats calling for gun control measures in the wake of the shooting on Monday:
2 mass shootings in one week.
At least 10 dead today in Boulder.
Our hearts ache tonight for all those impacted.
We need to come to terms with our gun safety laws in this country. Every day more lives are lost to senseless violence. We need national commonsense gun laws. Now.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 23, 2021
The Boulder mass shooting is a horrible tragedy – it is the 7th mass shooting in the past week. Gun violence is a scourge in this country that must be addressed. We have to make it harder to get a gun. I mourn for the victims and their families. When do we say enough is enough?
— Andrew Yang🧢🗽🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) March 23, 2021
Another senseless mass shooting in Boulder.
Praying for the families of all who have been lost.
Enough with the bloodshed.
The Senate must pass the bipartisan criminal background check bill.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) March 23, 2021
My heart grieves for the Boulder community.
Too many families are losing a loved one they’ll never get back because we’ve normalized mass shootings.
We can not accept this as the status quo – we need commonsense gun safety laws.
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) March 23, 2021
In a break from coverage of the Boulder massacre, I just caught a cable TV ad in AZ for a retail gun shop, complete with a helpful store clerk showing a customer a semi-automatic rifle.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) March 23, 2021
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