Multiple People, Including Police Officer, Killed In Colorado Grocery Store Shooting
Multiple people were killed by a gunman in Boulder, Colo., during a mass shooting at a grocery store that left a trail of dead bodies, including one officer, officials announced on Monday evening.
"We do have a person of interest in custody," Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty told reporters during a press conference.
Without revealing the suspect's name, he added: "That person was injured and is being treated for their injures."
Cmdr. Kelly Yamaguchi confirmed one of the fatalities at the supermarket was a Boulder police officer. However, he declined to enumerate further deaths.
Yamaguchi also stated that the only person who suffered serious injuries is the suspected shooter, who is being treated at a local hospital. And he assured the public there is no ongoing threat.
Dougherty noted the rapid response by law enforcement, which arrived within minutes of 911 calls, just before 3 p.m.
A swarm of Boulder police, SWAT and other local and federal law enforcement officers, including the FBI and ATF, swiftly contained the event at King Soopers grocery store.
Media outlets captured footage of a shirtless man, as he calmly walked out of the King Soopers grocery store in handcuffs. His right leg — from his knee down to his foot — were covered in what looked like blood. He was taken away in an ambulance.
It has not been confirmed whether the man is the suspected shooter who is now in custody.
Boulder Police Department officials alerted the public to an "active shooter" situation at 2:49 p.m. local time, warning the public to stay away from the area.
ABC reported that "officers responded to a report of someone shot in the parking area, and when they arrived at the scene, a suspect opened fire on them."
"The entire building is surrounded. You need to surrender," Boulder Police announced from the parking lot of the grocery store, where many of the store's windows had been shattered.
"Come out with your hands up, unarmed," they ordered.
By about 4:15 p.m. officers had cleared out the supermarket and the customers who had been inside for the entire ordeal, were escorted out.
Gov. Jared Polis reacted to news of the ongoing incident on Twitter, writing, "My heart is breaking as we watch this unspeakable event unfold in our Boulder community. We are making every public safety resource available to assist the Boulder County Sheriff's Department as they work to secure the store."
The shooting in Colorado comes less than a week after a series of shootings in the Atlanta area, where eight people were killed by a white gunman, including six women of Asian descent.
That shooting has devastated Asian and Asian American communities across the country amid rising crimes against those groups.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops. [Copyright 2021 NPR]
