DENVER: At least 10 people, including a police officer, were killed when a gunman opened fire at a grocery store in the US state of Colorado, authorities said, adding that a suspect was in custody.
The shooting took place on Monday at the King Soopers grocery store in the city of Boulder.
Addressing a press conference, Boulder Police chief Maris Herold said that the officer, identified as 51-year-old Eric Talley, was one of the first responders at the scene, dpa news reported.
She called his actions “heroic”.
Herold said that police began receiving calls about shots fired and a call about a person with a “patrol rifle” at around 2.30 p.m.
Talley was one of the first officers at the scene and was “fatally shot.”
“This is a very complex investigation that will take no less than five days to complete,” Herold said at the conference.
CNN cited an unnamed senior law enforcement source as saying that the weapon used in the shooting was an AR-15-style rifle.
Police said that the names of the victims would not be released until their families are notified.
The Boulder Police Department tweeted an alert about an “active shooter” at a grocery store at around 2.50 p.m.
Police said officers arrived at the scene “within minutes” of receiving a 911 call and entered building “very quickly.”
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said that the “alleged shooter” was injured and in custody.
The Boulder Police Department also confirmed that there was “no ongoing public threat”.
In a tweet, Colorado Governor Jared Polis said: “My prayers are with our fellow Coloradans in this time of sadness and grief as we learn more about the extent of the tragedy.”
The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden has been briefed about the carnage.