The 21-year-old suspect accused of opening fire inside a Colorado grocery store and killing 10 people has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder. Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was being treated for a gunshot wound, but was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon and taken into the custody of local police.
The victims who died in the shooting were between the ages of 20 and 65. Among them was a Boulder police officer, 51-year-old Eric Talley, a father of seven children, who responded to the shooting.
“He died charging into the line of fire to save people who were simply trying to live their lives and go food shopping, and the man who gunned them down will be held fully responsible,” said Michael Dougherty, the Boulder County district attorney.
The other victims were identified as Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; Rikki Olds, 25; Neven Stanisic, 23; Denny Stong, 20; and Jody Waters, 65.
At the White House, President Biden said another city has been “scarred by gun violence” and called on Congress to pass gun control measures. “I just can’t imagine how the families are feeling, the victims whose futures were stolen from them, from their families, from their loved ones, who now have to struggle to go on and try to make sense of what’s happened,” Mr. Biden said.
“Every time you saw her, she had a smile on her face”: Family member mourns shooting victim
Shooting suspect found guilty of third degree assault in 2017 incident
The shooting suspect was previously convicted of third degree assault, a misdemeanor, stemming from an incident when he was in high school, according to documents obtained by CBS News.
According to a police report of the 2017 incident, a teacher and fellow students said they saw Alissa punch another student in the side of the head and hit him repeatedly after he had fallen to the ground, leaving the victim bloodied and vomiting. The suspect admitted to punching the other student, but said it was retaliation for bullying and racist comments, the report said.
Colorado shooting suspect allegedly bought assault weapon 6 days before shooting
The Colorado shooting suspect purchased an assault weapon 6 days before the shooting, according to court documents released Tuesday. The arrest affidavit for the suspect said he purchased a Ruger AR-556 pistol on March 16.
It’s not yet clear if that pistol was used in the shooting. According to the affidavit, the suspect had left a rifle — “possibly” an AR-15 — and a semiautomatic handgun in the store.
The wife of one of the suspect’s brothers told authorities that the suspect was seen playing with a gun that looked like a “machine gun” two days ago, according to the affidavit. She did not provide more details about the type of gun.
“Truly one of a kind”: Family mourns shooting victim
The family of Rikki Olds, one of the victims of the shooting, issued a statement Tuesday commemorating her as a loving, hard-working person who was “truly one of a kind.”
The statement described Olds, 25, as “a type of person who would always be there for you,” adding, “She’d embrace you and give you confidence to be the person you want to be.”
The statement said Olds was devoted to her career at King Soopers, and that she “strived to be the best manager she could be to her work family.”
“She had the tenacity and big dreams to make a great life for herself and to help others along the way,” the family said.
Memorials built to remember victims
In the aftermath of the shooting, residents have lined a fence put up around the parking lot of the King Soopers store with flowers to honor the victims.
Residents are also leaving flowers around a police cruiser parked in front of the Boulder Police Department to honor Eric Talley, the police officer who was killed during the shooting.
Kroger says 3 store employees died in the shooting
Kroger, the supermarket chain that owns King Soopers, said three employees died during the shooting: Denny Stong, Rikki Olds, and Teri Leiker.
“The entire Kroger family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to those impacted by this tragedy, including our associates, customers and first responders, and their Families,” the company said.
Kroger also highlighted “truly heroic acts that included associates, customers and first responders selflessly helping to protect and save others.”
“We will remain forever grateful to the first responders who so bravely responded to protect our associates and customers,” the company said.
“I knew something was wrong”: Man who documented shooting speaks out
Millions watched Dean Schiller’s live stream as he documented the shooting with an unflinching eye.
“When did it become clear to you something was very wrong?” CBS News asked.
“As soon as I saw the body,” Schiller said.
He had just left the King Soopers ahead of his friend Denny Stong, who was still paying for his lunch at the register. While filming, Schiller didn’t know that Stong would be among the victims.
“He was a really smart kid. He was training to be an airline pilot who wanted to be a commercial airline pilot — that was his dream,” Schiller said.
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/boulder-shooting-colorado-victims-suspect-10-counts-murder/
