At least 10 people, including a police officer, were killed when a gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado on Monday night. The suspect is in custody, but police are not revealing any information about his identity or that of the deceased except the police officer, at present.
51-year-old Eric Tally, who has been with the Boulder Police Department since 2010, was one of the first responders to the incident that took place in King Soopers store, and was killed in the shooting. Addressing the media, Chief Maris Herold said, “Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific incident,” and commended the “heroic actions” Tally for responding to the crisis.
Rest In peace Officer Eric Talley. Your service will never be forgotten #BoulderShooting pic.twitter.com/FVximvhS2E
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) March 23, 2021
Chief Herold went on to say that this was “a very complex investigation that will take no less than five days to complete.” The motive for the shooting is not known yet. More details are expected in the next press conference scheduled to take place on the morning of March 23 local time.
This tragedy comes just days after the shootings in Cherokee County and Atlanta where eight people including six Asian-American women were killed. The shooting has also added fuel to fire when it comes to the Right to Bear Arms. The US has been struggling with gun violence for several decades and the demand for common sense gun laws has grown in wake of the latest shooting. In fact, Colorado is one of the 45 states where ‘open carry’ or the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public is legal and gun sales are allegedly largely unregulated.
Socio-cultural activist and daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., Bernice King tweeted saying, “I’m not sure what it will take for there to be a collective awakening regarding gun violence. But I’m holding on to hope and willing to work.”
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