Boulder, Colo., police officials updated the public regarding Monday’s mass shooting at the King Soopers grocery store that left 10 people dead, including the first police officer to arrive on the scene, revealing they have charged the suspect with 10 counts of first-degree murder.
Police identified the suspect as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, a 21-year-old Arvada, Colo., man, though his motive for the attack was not specified at this time. Police also identified the 10 victims, whose families were notified by 4 a.m. local time. They range in age from 20 to 65 years old.
Authorities have identified the victims as Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62, and Jody Waters, 65.
“Our hearts got out to all the victims killed during this senseless act of violence,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said Tuesday. She pledged that the department would “bring justice to each of these families.”
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty pledged Tuesday “to make sure that the killer is held absolutely and fully accountable for what he did, to them, to all the loved ones and friends of the victims, and to the boulder community yesterday.”
Dougherty said Alissa was expected to be transported at some time today to Boulder County Jail from a local hospital, where he was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg.
Officials said they are still working to determine a motive in the shooting. According to Dougherty, Alissa lived “most of his life in the United States,” though he did not provide additional information beyond that.
Herold appeared visibly upset as she described the heartache being experienced not only by the victims’ family members, some of whom she spoke with personally, but also the community as a whole.
“It’s hard. It’s challenging,” Herold said. “I live three blocks up the street from that store. You’re worried about your neighbors, you’re worried about your partner. You’re worried about everything when you get that call. So, yeah, I feel numb. And it’s heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking to talk to victims, their families. It’s tragic.”
A witness told The Associated Press he had just left the supermarket when 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.”
Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are also heard at the beginning of the video.
Officers could be seen leading a shirtless man with a bloodied leg out of the store in handcuffs, but authorities would not say at the time if he was the suspect.
Herold said Tuesday the suspect was taken into custody at 3:28 p.m. local time.
