US: Shooting at supermarket leaves 10, including cop, dead
At least 10 people, including a cop, died after a gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado in the United States. The police officer who died has been identified as Eric Talley and was the first to respond to the incident at King Soopers supermarket. He was 51 years old. A suspect has been taken into custody. Here are more details.
Police department had urged people to avoid the area
At 2:49 pm (local time), the Boulder Police tweeted about the incident. "ALERT: Active Shooter at the King Soopers on Table Mesa. AVOID THE AREA. PIO is en-route, (sic)" the tweet read. Eyewitnesses told AFP that they heard multiple gunshots before they fled the supermarket from the back entrance. A live-streamed video showed a white middle-aged, shirtless man, being taken away by cops.
FBI agents and SWAT teams were deployed to the scene
As soon as the shooting incident was reported, several armored vehicles, ambulances as well as armed personnel, including FBI agents and SWAT teams, rushed to the spot. The personnel escorted the shoppers out of the supermarket, covering most of them in blankets. King Soopers spokeswoman Kelli McGannon praised the first responders for their bravery while condemning the senseless act of violence.
'I just nearly got killed for a bag of chips'
Ryan Borowski, who was one of the fortunate ones to have escaped, recounted the horror. "I just nearly got killed for getting a soda and a bag of chips," he told CNN. He added that Boulder felt like the safest place in America and that bubble burst with this incident. Alex Arellano recalled, "I'm thinking of my parents, and I was freaking out. (sic)"
Police chief remembered Talley's courage
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold remembered Talley as a courageous officer. He had been serving with the police department since 2010. "He served in numerous roles supporting the Boulder Police Department and the community of Boulder," Herold said. Separately, Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Boulder County, assured the families of victims that he would do his best to ensure justice.
He urged countrymen to pray for families of victims
"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 said.
President Joe Biden has been briefed, said Jen Psaki
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki informed that President Joe Biden has been briefed. Colorado has witnessed such traumatic incidents in the past as well. In 1999, two teenage boys had shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher of the Columbine High School. In 2012, an armed man had stormed into a movie theater and rained bullets, killing 12. He was arrested.
