Police have named the suspect and 10 victims in the Boulder, Colorado, grocery store shooting
- Police say Ahmad Alissa opened fire at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday.
- Ten people were killed, including a police officer. Their names and ages are below.
- Alissa, 21, was taken into custody.
Police say that 21-year-old Ahmad Alissa shot and killed 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado, market on Monday.
A police officer was among those who died in the shooting.
The officer, Eric Talley, 51, had been with the department since 2010, and was a married father of seven, Talley's father told local outlets.
Talley was the first officer on the scene, Chief Maris Herold of the Boulder Police Department said at a Monday night press conference.
Alissa, who was injured, is in custody, and was charged with 10 counts of murder, authorities said. Police have not released a motive.
In an affidavit for an arrest warrant reviewed by Insider, Boulder Detective Sarah Cantu wrote that Alissa had removed all of his clothing and was dressed only in shorts when he was arrested outside the market.
He had blood on his right thigh.
"In this year of separation due to Covid, of loss and of loneliness, grocery stores like King Soopers have been one of our consistent gathering places, one of the few routine activities that we've continued to engage in as Coloradans and as Americans," Rep. Joe Neguse said at a press conference Tuesday. "It's hard to describe what it means for this safe place to see a horrible tragedy like this unfold."
The victims are:
- Denny Stong, 20
- Neven Stanisic, 23
- Rikki Olds, 25
- Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
- Suzanne Fountain, 59
- Teri Leiker, 51
- Eric Talley, 51
- Kevin Mahoney, 61
- Lynn Murray, 62
- Jody Waters, 65
Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said a "painstaking investigation" was underway. He also noted that Colorado had seen numerous mass shootings in recent years.
The Boulder Police Department first tweeted about an "active shooter" at a King Soopers grocery store at 2:49 p.m. MT.
By 3:28 p.m., Alissa was taken into custody. Officials then worked throughout the night to identify victims and notify their families.
Cantu said in the affidavit that woman who recently married Alissa's older brother told investigators that she saw him in the family home a few days earlier "playing with" a weapon she described as a "machine gun."
Police learned that Alissa had purchased a Ruger AR-556 pistol on March 16, according to the affidavit.
Gov. Jared Polis tweeted on Monday afternoon to say he was "closely watching" the unfolding events and praying for his fellow Coloradans.
Mayor Sam Weaver of Boulder also tweeted: "Words can do no justice to the tragedy that has unfolded this afternoon. Our community will soon grieve our losses, and begin our healing. Our brave police officers and first responders have the gratitude of our entire city."
CBS Denver interviewed a man who said he was on the phone with his daughter during the attack.
"I got the call from my daughter that my grandchildren and my son-in-law walked into the pharmacy for him to get a COVID-19 shot and the shooter came in, shot the woman in front of them, they hid, ran upstairs," he said. "They were hiding in a coat closet for the last hour."
"This is not OK with me, and this has put in a big pitch for gun control," the man added.
Store staff have also been praised for helping customers get to safety.
Kim Cordova, president of the local chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, told 9News: "We know that when they heard gunshots, some of the workers grabbed coworkers, also led customers out to safety through various exits throughout the store, including the back dock and the back area of the store."
"They work during every manmade or natural disaster, and now, they again stepped up helped save customers and members of the community," she added. "They continue to be heroes."
The shooting was the second mass shooting in just a week in the US, following the Georgia spree shooting on March 16. It's also the sixth mass shooting to happen within a 40-mile radius of Colorado Springs, including the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School and the 2012 shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting Monday evening, according to a tweet from the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki.
On Tuesday, he called for gun control measures.
"While the flag was still flying at half-staff for the tragedy, another American city has been scarred by gun violence and resulting trauma," Biden said in his remarks.
Biden ordered flags flown at half-staff until March 27, while Gov. Polis orderd flags flown at half-staff for 10 days in honor of the 10 victims.