COLORADO (CNN / AP) – Ten people, including a Boulder police officer, were killed on Monday when an armed man opened fire at a King Soopers grocery store in Colorado.
Many questions about mass shooting remain and the motivation behind the attack remains unclear. Authorities said they are just beginning what they say could be at least five days of investigation.
Here’s what we know so far:
What happened?
According to Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold, the first calls to 911 reporting shots occurred at about 2:30 pm local time (4:30 pm Eastern time) on Monday.
Officer Eric Talley, who was killed in the mass shooting, was the first officer to arrive at the scene.
Boulder Police tweeted that there was an “active shooter in King Soopers at Table Mesa. AVOID THE AREA. “
Ambulances and several law enforcement agencies responded to the store. According to CNN, at one point, police officers were seen moving on the store’s roof.
SWAT officers carrying ballistic shields approached the store while others escorted people out of the building. Customers and employees ran from the store through a rear loading dock for safety, while others took refuge in nearby stores, the Associated Press reported.
Who are the victims?
Talley, 51, was killed at the scene, said police chief Herold. Talley, a father of seven, joined the Boulder police force in 2010, she said.
“He was one of the most notable officers in the Boulder Police Department and his life was cut short very quickly,” said Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty.
Officer Talley was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene. He advanced to the line of fire to save people, officials said.
The last victim was removed from the scene at 1:30 am and all victims were identified at 2:00 am, with their family members notified shortly thereafter.
Here is a list of those killed in Monday’s shooting:
Denny Strong, 20
Nevin Stanisic, 23
Rikki Olds, 25
Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
Suzanne Fountain, 59
Teri Leiker, 51
Officer Eric Talley, 51
Kevin Mahoney, 61
Lynn Murray, 62
Jody Waters, 65
Who’s the suspect?
Herold said Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, a 21-year-old Arvada man, was taken into custody and then transported to a hospital to treat his injuries. He faces 10 counts of intentional homicide.
The man will be released from the hospital soon and will be admitted to Boulder County Jail.
Authorities said the suspect lived most of his life in the United States.
As the events unfolded, KMGH, a local ABC affiliate, registered a shirtless man being taken from the supermarket. The man appeared to have blood on his arm and leg as the police escorted him away. He was taken in an ambulance. It is unclear whether the man was involved in the shooting inside the store.
A senior police source told CNN that the weapon used in the shooting was an AR-15 rifle.
What’s next?
Police will be at the scene day and night to learn more about the shooting, officials said. The investigation is in its early stages. The investigation will probably be completed a year from now.
“We will work around the clock to achieve this,” said Herold, adding that such a complex investigation will take at least five days to complete.
Matthew Kirsch, Colorado’s attorney general, has pledged that “the full weight of federal law enforcement” will support the investigation. He said investigators at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the crime scene, along with FBI agents, the AP reported.
In the United States, so far this year, there have been at least six mass shootings, with four or more dead.
Officials response
Governor Jared Polis said in a statement that “Today we have seen the face of evil. I am suffering with my community and all the coloradians ”.
The King Soopers network said in a statement that it was offering prayers and support “to our associates, customers and the first respondents who courageously responded to this tragic situation”.
President Biden spoke on Tuesday afternoon about the shooting in Colorado, saying that not much is known about what happened or why it happened, but that he will use “all the resources at my disposal to keep the American people safe”.
The President offered his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the mass shooting, including Officer Talley’s family.
“I commend Officer Eric Talley for his exceptional bravery and send my deepest condolences to his family, his immediate family and seven children,” said President Biden.
The president pushed for the Senate to “immediately” approve the two bills passed by the House that would close loopholes in the background check system and pushed for the ban on assault weapons.
“We have to act,” he said.