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.
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:
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
“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.
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.
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.
