One Suspect in Custody After King Soopers Shooting

Ten people were killed, including a 51-year-old Boulder Police Department officer, in a shooting at King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colo., on March 22.

A suspect was in custody March 22, with Boulder police saying on Twitter and in a press conference that there was no ongoing threat to the public. "I want to reassure the community that they are safe," Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said in a press conference.

Boulder police began receiving calls about 2:30 p.m. local time about shots fired in the area of the store, which is located at 3600 Table Mesa Drive. The Associated Press reported that shooting victims were found inside the store as well as in the parking lot. Officers escorted a shirtless man with blood on his leg from the store in handcuffs, the AP further reported.

The King Soopers banner is a division of Cincinnati-based Kroger. In a statement, Kroger said it was "horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless violence that occurred" at the store. "The entire Kroger family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation," the statement continued. Kroger said the store will remain closed while the company continues to cooperate with the investigation.

Names of the suspect and the shooting victims have not yet been released.

The responding officer who was killed was 51-year-old Eric Talley, who had served with the Boulder Police Department since 2010. Herold praised the response of Boulder police as well as other local, state and federal authorities that responded, calling officers' actions "nothing short of being heroic."

Last week, an employee at a distribution center for Kroger-owned Roundy's in Oconomowoc, Wis., shot two fellow employees before fatally shooting himself following a police pursuit. 

The president of UFCW Local 7, which represents 32 workers at the King Soopers store where the shooting occurred, issued a statement expressing gratitude for "the grocery workers, customers and the first responders who acted swiftly to prevent even greater loss of life" and calling for greater protection for grocery workers. "For the last year our members and other associates have fought an invisible enemy, COVID-19, but today several innocent souls were killed by an evil human," Local 7 President Kim Cordova stated. "We call on government officials and employers to do more to protect our members and communities from the constant threat of violence."

The Boulder investigation is expected to take at least five days to complete. This story will be updated.