Gunman shoots and ‘kills at least six’ including a cop ‘with an AR-15’

At least six people were reportedly killed Monday afternoon by a gunman who opened fire at a Colorado grocery store as video captured multiple victims lying wounded inside and outside the supermarket. 

While several reports, citing police sources, have said that six people were killed in the shooting at King Soopers, Boulder Police Department Commander Kerry Yamaguchi would not confirm the number of fatalities during a press conference, saying only that ‘multiple people’ were killed, including a Boulder police officer. 

Yamaguchi did confirm that there is no ongoing threat related to the shooting, adding that ‘a person of interest in custody’.

‘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.

Yamaguchi would not confirm if the person in custody is the same shirtless and bleeding man who was seen being escorted out of the grocery store by two police officers earlier in the day. 

The man, who is now being treated for his injuries, was seen with blood running down his leg while he was handcuffed. No charges have been filed. 

District Attorney Michael Dougherty said during the press conference that an investigation is underway and ‘crime scene analysts are [still] inside the building processing evidence’. 

‘No numbers about fatalities will be released until families are notified,’ Dougherty added.   

A motive for the shooting has not been determined but an AR-15 style rifle is believed to have been used.  

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Shortly after learning of the incident, Colorado Gov Jared Polis said in a statement: ‘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. I’m incredibly grateful to the brave men and women who have responded to the scene to help the victims of this senseless tragedy.’

The governor continued: ‘This is very much an active situation and we continue to monitor very closely. We ask for your patience as law enforcement works tirelessly to secure the site. Right now, the biggest priority is to let local law enforcement and the City of Boulder do their work to ensure the safety of those involved.’

Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver said that ‘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.’

White House press secretary Jen Psaki shared Monday evening that President Joe Biden ‘has been briefed on the shooting in Colorado and he will be kept up to date by his team as there are additional developments’. 

In a statement, a King Soopers spokesperson offered ‘condolences, thoughts and prayers to employees, customers and first responders’ but said that they will direct questions to law enforcement.  

The incident unfolded just before 3pm local time at the King Soopers grocery store located at 3600 Table Mesa Drive. 

As the incident unfolded, officers from the Boulder Police Department warned locals to ‘avoid the area’.

Authorities said they are also unsure about how many people are being treated at local hospitals, but Boulder Community Health confirmed to CNN that they have one patient who was transported to the center from the shooting. 

However, they did not release the condition of the patient. 

One video of the incident from YouTube shows two victims lying on the ground in the parking lot of the store.  

At least one victim is seen lying on the floor inside the store just moments before more gunshots are heard. Local reports say one victim is a police officer.  

Television helicopter video showed law enforcement vehicles and officers massing outside, including SWAT teams, and at least three helicopters on the roof of the store in Boulder, about 25 miles northwest of Denver.

Just before 4.30pm local time, Boulder police tweeted: ‘Please avoid the area of Table Mesa & Broadway! This is still a very active scene. Do NOT broadcast on social media any tactical information you might see. 

‘We will continue to tweet updates as we have them. If you live nearby please stay inside for now.’

About 45 minutes later, police tweeted: ‘Emergency notification just went out: Boulder police asking people near 17th and Grove to shelter in place while they respond to report of armed, dangerous individual’. 

‘PD is investigating to determine if this is related to King Soopers shooting.’ 

Later Monday evening, police said the shelter in place notice at 17th and Grove was lifted and they said that this incident was not related to the King Soopers shooting. 

Officers were seen with their guns drawn, and some windows at the front of the store were broken. 

Authorities over a loudspeaker said the building was surrounded and that ‘you need to surrender.’ They said to come out with hands up and unarmed.

An ambulance pulled away from the store, apparently carrying the bleeding man brought out of the store in handcuffs.  

After the man was escorted from the store, several minutes later, a line of people who appeared to have been shopping at the time were seen being taken to safety. 

Ryan Borowski told CNN that he was in the store when the shooter opened fire. 

‘We told employees what was going on so everybody helped each other and we just ran to safety as quickly as we could,’ Borowski said. 

‘I didn’t see the shooter. I saw terrified faces running towards me and that’s when I turned and ran the other direction.

Borowski said that Boulder ‘feels like the safest spot in America and I just nearly got killed for getting a soda, you know, and a bag of chips. Doesn’t feel good’.

A man who said he was shopping at the store told KCNC-TV that he heard ‘one loud bang, thought somebody just dropped something an employee or something, and then another, and then by the third one, everybody was running’. 

He said they ran to the back of the store, found the employee area and workers told them how to escape. He said they walked single file, with their arms on the backs of those in front of them. 

Another man told KCNC said his family was inside the pharmacy at King Soopers to get a Covid-19 vaccine when the shooter entered the building. 

‘I got the call from my daughter and my grandchildren that 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,’ the man told the station. 

He said his family then hid in a closet for an hour before they were rescued. 

‘They were texting, hiding in the coat closet. Turned their phone off and were going ‘we’re hiding, we’re okay’ you know, ‘don’t call’ you know the phone would ring and give away their position,’ he added.  

Law enforcement SWAT teams from Jefferson County and Boulder were dispatched to the market in the southern part of the city of Boulder. 

The FBI is also on the scene. 

‘At the request of the Boulder Police Department, FBI Denver personnel are assisting with an investigation into an active shooter situation at a King Soopers grocery store on Table Mesa Drive in Boulder,’ the FBI’s Denver branch tweeted. 

One man told KDVR that he was ‘terrified’ and ‘in shock initially when we realized what was happening’.

The man said he was on his to pick up coffee from King Soopers when the shooting started.  

Through tears, he noted that ‘people my age, my generation are used to this’.

A person who answered the telephone at a nearby sandwich shop said he and his employees were locked down in the back of the store and all were safe. 

Someone who answered the phone at nail studio next door said she and her colleagues were safe. Neither had details on what happened at the market across the street. 

Monday’s incident occurred less than a week after eight people were shot dead in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Police in Atlanta are still investigating suspected gunman Robert Aaron Long’s motive in connection with the shooting on Tuesday. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

All eight deceased victims were identified as: Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Soon C. Park, 44; Hyun J. Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69, and 63-year-old Yong Yue. 

Long, a 21-year-old Atlanta-area resident who is white, told police that sexual frustration led him to commit the violence.