10 killed in Colorado grocery store shooting

By Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes, Meg Wagner, Melissa Mahtani and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 9:58 PM ET, Tue March 23, 2021

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1:27 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Biden urges Senate to immediately pass House bills on gun reform

From CNN's Kevin Liptak and Jeff Zeleny

President Biden delivers remarks on the Boulder, Colorado, shooting on Tuesday. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

President Biden said he would do everything in his power to keep Americans safe following the latest mass shooting in Colorado and pushed the Senate to immediately pass two House-passed gun reforms, including a universal background checks measure and an assault weapons ban.

"I don't need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future," he said in remarks from the White House.

He listed a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as strengthening the background check system by closing loopholes, as areas he would like to see Congress act on.

"The Senate should immediately pass, let me say it again, the United States Senate, I hope some are listening, should immediately pass the two House-passed bills that close loopholes in the background check system. These are bills that received votes with both Republicans and Democrats in the House. This is not and should not be a partisan issue. This is an American issue. It will save lives. American lives. We have to act," he added.

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1:29 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Biden praises heroism of slain Boulder police officer: "That's the definition of an American hero"

President Biden offered his condolences to the families of the victims of the Boulder shooting and vowed to use all the resources at his disposal "to keep the American people safe."

"Ten lives have been lost, and more families have been shattered by gun violence in the state of Colorado. And Jill and I are devastated," Biden said in remarks from the White House.

Biden praised the heroism of slain Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, one of 10 people killed in yesterday's shooting.

"I commend the exceptional bravery of Officer Eric Talley. I send my deepest condolence to his family. His close, close family of seven children. You know, when he pinned on that badge yesterday morning he didn't know what the day would bring. I want everybody to think about this," Biden said. "But when the moment to act came Officer Talley did not hesitate in his duty making the ultimate sacrifice in his effort to save lives. That's the definition of an American hero."

The President said he's been briefed by the FBI and the attorney general on the shooting, and that the White House is working closely with local and state law enforcement officials on the investigation. Biden noted that at this moment, "a great deal remains unknown" about the shooting.

Biden “directed that all flags at the White House be flown at half staff” to honor the victims, according to a White House statement.

Yesterday's shooting comes just days after eight were killed in a series of shootings in the Atlanta area. The President is facing growing pressure to act on guns in the wake of these latest mass shootings.

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1:10 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Go There: CNN answers your questions about the Boulder grocery store shooting investigation

Ten people, including a police officer, were killed Monday after a gunman opened fire in a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.

CNN correspondent Dan Simon was live on the scene and answered viewers' questions about the investigation.

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1:07 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Boulder shooting suspect booked into county jail

From CNN's Konstantin Toropin

The suspect in Monday's grocery store shooting in Colorado, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, has been booked into Boulder County Jail, according to the jail's records.

Alissa was booked today at 12:49 p.m. local time, according to the county site.

Officials previously said he was receiving treatment at a hospital for a gunshot wound to the leg.

12:57 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Biden orders flags to be flown at half-staff to honor victims of Boulder shooting

President Biden has issued a proclamation for flags to be flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the Boulder shooting.

A statement just released by the White House says:

"As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 22, 2021, in Boulder, Colorado, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, March 27, 2021."

Biden also directed flags to be flown at half-staff for all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

Just last week, the President ordered the American flags at the White House and on other federal ground to be flown at half-staff as "a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence" in Atlanta.

12:43 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Shooting compounds trauma already felt by grocery workers during pandemic, union president says

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

Grocery workers — who already showed heroism throughout the Covid-19 pandemic — were heroes during the Colorado mass shooting, said Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7. The union represents grocery store employees, including those in the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, where 10 people died on Monday.

“These grocery workers have been through so much over this last year dealing with Covid. You know, customers, the mask issue — it's been really rough for these employees. … They were heroes throughout this whole pandemic and they were heroes during this incident,” Cordova told CNN’s Kate Bolduan.

“Everybody's really traumatized. There is a lot of shock,” she added.

Rikki Olds, 25, has been identified as one of the victims killed in Monday’s shooting at the supermarket. She was a front-end manager at King Soopers, according to her uncle. Olds was a member of the union in another store but transferred over to the nonunion side of the Boulder store, according to Cordova.

Olds was “very nice, very friendly, very caring,” Cordova said. “She was always happy, just a really great person.”

Cordova said she believes there are several other employees who died during the shooting, but did not comment further as the investigation is ongoing.

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12:32 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Obama says it's "long past time for those with power to fight this epidemic of gun violence"

From Betsy Klein and Kevin Liptak

Former President Barack Obama put out a statement calling for those in power to address gun violence in the wake of the deadly shooting in Boulder, Colorado.

His statement comes moments ahead of President Biden’s expected remarks on the matter from the White House.

In the statement Obama says:

“It is long past time for those with the power to fight this epidemic of gun violence to do so. It will take time to root out the disaffection, racism and misogyny that fuels so many of these senseless acts of violence. But we can make it harder for those with hate in their hearts to buy weapons of war. We can overcome opposition by cowardly politicians and the pressure of a gun lobby that opposes any limit on the ability of anyone to assemble an arsenal. We can, and we must.”

12:21 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Search of Boulder shooting suspect's home turned up weapons, source says

From CNN’s Whitney Wild

A search of Boulder shooting suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa’s home turned up other weapons, a senior law enforcement source tells CNN.

The official also updated the description previously given of the weapon used in the killings. The source describes the weapon as an AR-15-style pistol that had been modified with an arm brace.

12:21 p.m. ET, March 23, 2021

Losing community members in supermarket shooting is "indescribable," says man working near store

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

Mason Alexander was working at a tattoo parlor near the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, when the shooting occurred yesterday, leaving 10 dead.

Alexander and his coworkers locked themselves and their customers inside. He said he is still shaken up from it.

“We have become a bit desensitized to the shootings in America. But for it to happen right outside of your front door, you know, 500 feet from where you perform your everyday activities … it is shocking. It is scary. It is something I wouldn't wish anybody to have to go through. … I’m lost for words,” he told CNN’s Poppy Harlow.

Alexander said it is difficult to know how to deal with mass shootings in the US, but it’s “heartbreaking” and something needs to be done.

“It's a hard situation to deal with. … I’m not an elected official. I'm not a politician. But I am an American. And living in America right now is incredibly difficult,” he said.

“Me sitting here from a place of privilege as well, you know, it's just difficult to know what to do. We live in a divided country. A lot of people, you know, disagree on a lot of things, so it makes it hard to make progress. I just wish we could kind of look at what is really important, and that’s definitely the lives of everybody. We want to make sure that the lives of people are protected and, you know, we don't have these senseless acts of violence,” he said.

To “have fellow community members have their lives taken from them, it's indescribable,” he added.

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