BOULDER, Colo. (KKTV) – Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold announced the death toll at a news conference Monday night, fighting back tears. Among those killed was 51-year-old Officer Eric Talley, who had been responding to a call about shots fired. He had been with the department since 2010.
Police announced a suspect was seriously injured and taken into custody. It isn’t clear how many people were involved in the shooting.
It appears his right leg was covered in blood. He was led to an ambulance and taken away to a local hospital. Police say they are the only other person who was injured aside from those who were killed.
Law enforcement vehicles and officers massed outside the store, including SWAT teams, and at least three helicopters landed on the roof. Some windows at the front of the store were broken.
At one point, authorities said over a loudspeaker that the building was surrounded and that “you need to surrender.”
Sarah Moonshadow told the Denver Post that two shots rang out just after she and her son, Nicolas Edwards, finished buying strawberries. She said she told her son to get down and then “we just ran.”
Once they got outside, she said they saw a body in the parking lot. Edwards said police were speeding into the lot and pulled up next to the body.
“I knew we couldn’t do anything for the guy,” he said. “We had to go.”
James Bentz told the Post that he was in the meat section when he heard what he thought was a misfire, then a series of pops.
“I was then at the front of a stampede,” he said.
Boulder Police rushed to an active shooter call at a King Soopers on Table Mesa Drive near South Broadway. The call came in at around 2:30 p.m.
Copter4 saw hundreds of police and first responder vehicles, including SWAT officers, outside the building.
One man without a shirt on was walked out of the store in handcuffs about an hour after the first call.
Police say there is no further threat to the public.
The Boulder District Attorney says they are working to gather all of the details of the situation. Crime scene analysts are inside the store processing evidence. They add families of the victims are still being notified.
Some customers were seen being led through the parking lot by police. A reunification center is being set up at the CU Event Center at 950 Regent Drive.
Boulder Community Health tells CBS4 at least one person was brought to their emergency room due to this shooting.
“Heard a loud bang… thought someone dropped something. Then by the third bang everyone was running,” one man told CBS4’s Conor McCue.
McCue reports hearing police make announcements stating “Surrender now!” toward someone either inside the store or perhaps inside a vehicle. The details of the situation are fluid.
Another man told McCue his family was in line for a COVID-19 vaccine shot at the pharmacy when a gunman shot someone nearby. The man’s family then ran and hid in a closet. Those victims were then led out of the store by police.
The man told CBS4 he was on his way to reunite with them outside the store.
Dean Schiller, who had just left the store, told The Associated Press he heard gunshots and saw three people lying face down, two in the parking lot and one near the doorway. He said he “couldn’t tell if they were breathing.”
“Boulder feels like a bubble and the bubble burst and that’s heartbreaking to think that that people died in this today. And, you know, we just it doesn’t feel like there is anywhere safe anymore sometimes, and this feels like the safest spot in America and I just nearly got killed for getting a soda and a bag of chips,” said Ryan Borowski.
The front of the store sustained heavy damage.
At least three medical helicopters were seen landing at Fairview High School.
The Jefferson County SWAT team is at least one Denver metro area agency helping in this situation. Lakewood and Denver police are also sending help.
The Denver office of the FBI says it is also now assisting Boulder police.
While there were more than a dozen onlookers on the sidewalk across the street, police ask the public to avoid the area and also to not broadcast tactical information on social media.
The University of Colorado Boulder says evening classes are canceled due to the ongoing situation. The Boulder Valley School District announced Boulder High School is on secure lockout.
“Any students on campus will stay inside due to police activity. Do NOT come to the area at this time,” BVSD stated.
The district adds a few athletic teams were at the high school when officers responded to an apartment complex on 17th and Grove Streets. School officials say students and coaches are safe and waiting to be given an all-clear.
Police now say that incident is unrelated to the shooting at the King Soopers.
Gov. Jared Polis shared his prayers and thoughts with victims and their families.
The White House Press Secretary tweeted President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting.
King Soopers released the following statement about the shooting:
We are horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless violence that occurred at our King Soopers store located on Table Mesa Drive in Boulder, CO.
The entire King Soopers family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation.
We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and our store will remain closed during the police investigation.
To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are referring questions to the Boulder Police Department. – Kelli McGannon
The workers union representing 33 employees at the store released a statement which reads in part:
“No one should have to fear for their lives while they grocery shop or go to work every day. Unfortunately, our grocery members, frontline Essential Workers, have lived in fear each and every day during the pandemic.”
