Boulder Police Press Conference Transcript: Supermarket Shooting Update March 23

Dionne Waugh: (03:47)
Everybody ready? I have names and the run of show of who’s going to speak. Yes. Okay. It’s going to be on time. I’m going to give you the names and the run of show. That’s all I’m doing right now. I’ll start off with mine. My name is Dionne Waugh, D-I-O-N-N-E W-A-U-G-H. I’m the Public Information Officer for the Boulder Police Department. We’re going to have several speakers. We’re going to start with Police Chief Maris Herold. Her name is spelled M-A-R-I-S H-E-R-O-L-D. Following the Chief, Governor Polis will be speaking. P-O-L-I-S. Following the Governor, Congressman Neguse, N-E-G-U-S-E will be speaking. Following the Congressman, Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver, S-A-M W-E-A-V-E-R will be speaking. Following the Mayor, District Attorney Michael Dougherty. We’ll be speaking, D-O-UG-H-E-R-T-Y. Following the District Attorney, Acting US Attorney, Matt Kirsch will be speaking, and that’s M-A-T-T K-I-R-S-C-H. After that FBI Special Agent in Charge, Michael Schneider will be speaking and Michael common spelling, Schneider, S-C-H-N-E-I-D-E-R. Michael Schneider, M-I-C-H-A-E-L Schneider, S-C-H-N- E-I-D-E-R.

We also wanted to let you know, we will have media liaisons for all of the victims’ families. And we are asking that you respect the privacy of the victims. We have liaisons who will work with you if they want to and they are willing to speak with you, but please respect their privacy. We will also be releasing information about the suspect. We ask that you not give him the notoriety that he wants. In addition, if there are anyone who wants to make donations to help any of the victims, please do so at this time through The Fallen Heroes Foundation, the Colorado Fallen Heroes Foundation.

All right, I’m going to grab all the speakers. Information that they will say will be coming out in a press release as soon as they are done talking. They will all speak and then they will take questions after they have all spoken. Any questions?

Speaker 2: (06:31)
The Mayor’s name, was that a B as-

Sam, S-A-M, Weaver, W-E-A-V-E-R, V as in Victor.

Speaker 2: (06:38)
Oh, V as in Victor.

V as in Victor.

Speaker 2: (06:39)
Got it.

All right. I will grab your speakers.

Speaker 1: (07:04)
[crosstalk 00:07:04].

Is everyone ready to go? We’re going to start with Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold.

Maris Herold: (08:45)
Thank you, Dionne. Thank you for everybody being here today. Dozens of agencies continue to investigate yesterday’s mass shooting at the King Soopers at 3600 Table Mesa Drive. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office worked overnight to identify all of the victims and notify the next of kin, which I’m extremely grateful for. The last victim was removed from the scene at 1:30 AM today. By 2:02 AM, all the victims have been identified. By 3:59 AM, the families of the victims have been notified. I’m going to read the names of the deceased.

Denny Strong, 20 years old.

Neven [Stanisic 00:09:27], 23.

Rikki Olds, 25.

Tralona Bartkowiak. 49.

Suzanne Fountain, 59.

Teri Leiker, 51.

Officer Eric Talley, 51.

Kevin Mahoney, 61.

Lynn Murray, 62.

Jody Waters, 65.

Our hearts go out to all the victims killed during the senseless act of violence. We are committed with state, local and federal authorities for a thorough investigation, and we’ll bring justice to each of these families.

Regarding the suspect. At approximately 2:40 PM on Monday, March 22nd, officers were dispatched to King Soopers on Table Mesa Drive. Officers arrived on the scene within minutes and immediately entered the store and engaged the suspect. There was an exchange of gunfire, which suspect was shot. No other officers were injured. The suspect was taken into custody at 3:28 PM. He was transported to the hospital for treatment, now in stable condition. This suspect has been identified as Ahmad Alissa 21 of Arvada. He has been charged with 10 counts of murder in the first degree and will be shortly transported to Boulder County Jail. Press release with his identifying information, the victims’ information will be forthcoming. I appreciate you being here. And I want to say to the community, I am so sorry this incident happened and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure this suspect has a thorough trial and we do a thorough investigation. And with this, I’m going to turn this over to Governor Polis. Sir.

Governor Polis: (11:25)
Thank you, Chief, for your extraordinary work the last day and a half. And there’s going to be a lot more ahead. And of course I’m standing here, not just as Governor, but as someone who has called this community my home for most of my life. And who’s shopped at King Soopers in Table Mesa many times across my life. My heart aches today. And I think all of ours does, as Coloradans, as Americans for this senseless tragedy, the loss of life as we hear those names. Everybody, and Boulder County is a small community. We’re all looking over the list. Do we-

Governor Jared Polis: (12:03)
And Boulder County is a small community. We’re all looking over the list. Do we know anybody? I’m sure that we know people that know people, people of all ages, and people who started their day with a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper, or perhaps getting their kids ready, and putting on a winter coat to go out. Maybe they were making last-minute spring break plans. But none of them expected that this would be their last day here on the planet. It’s a simple run for milk and eggs, getting ready to shop. Going in, in a regular way we all live our lives, something that we can all identify with, led to a complete tragedy here today. And our hearts ache for those who lost their lives, for their families, for the survivors left behind, for the survivors who were able to get out, who have scars that can’t be seen but are every bit as painful.

And I want to thank the Boulder Police Department, the first responders. So many police from agencies across the state came to the call in their time of need. Not only did we lose 10 lives, but this is real horror and terror for all of us, the simple act of shopping in a grocery store.

And the last day and a half, the last 12 hours, the families of our victims, our friends, they’ve been notified of their loss. That’s why these names weren’t released yesterday. The families have been notified, everybody quietly hoping that it wasn’t your friend, or your coworker, or your family member. Many residents of South Boulder had people checking in with them, “Are you okay? Are you okay?” posting on social media, “Are you okay? “And look, this loss is especially painful for the friends and the family members of those left behind and, as governor, I offer my condolences to all those who suffered loss. But this is a loss for all of us. And we mourn those who fell, as a state, and we mourn them as a nation.

This has been a painful year. And we sit here once again surrounded by seemingly incomprehensible, senseless loss. This is a pain that we need to sit with. We can’t let ourselves ever become numb to the pain, because we simply can’t let this be accepted as anything close to a normal occurrence.

There’s a full investigation underway. The eyes of the nation are on Boulder; the eyes of the nation are on Colorado. And every level of law enforcement, federal, state, and local, is working together to make sure that we can bring justice in this case. That’s exactly what Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley was doing, as he lost his life in the line of duty: He was heroically trying to save others.

The state of Colorado has 35 people from the Colorado Bureau of Investigations and state troopers assisting the investigation. Since yesterday, we’ve offered to help with victim services as well. And of course, Boulder community has the full support of state and federal law enforcement, as we go about the difficult task ahead.

The unfairness of it all. This is going to be difficult for people to process. Flags had barely been raised back to full-mast after the tragic shooting in Atlanta that claimed eight lives. And now a tragedy here close to home, at a grocery store that could be any of our neighborhood grocery stores.

This last weekend in Colorado, many of us had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful spring outdoor weather. Spending time in the great outdoors, a sense of renewal, a sense of hope ahead perhaps, that we were on the precipice of normalcy. I hope that the victims today got some simple pleasure, on that beautiful spring day before tragedy hit. I wish I could stand here and promise that the pain will heal quickly. It won’t. But for the family and friends in our community, the loss endures. And at times like this, it’s hard to see the light that shines through the darkness. We all need space to mourn, space to be angry, that’s a legitimate feeling, space to help those who are left behind, space to ask the simple question, “Why?” space to support those who made it out of the grocery store with their lives, but with lifelong scars that we cannot see, space to celebrate the 10 lives that were lost yesterday, and we need the fortitude to carry on.

We will hold the evildoer responsible to the full extent of the law for his actions. And we will always remember the victims of the King Soopers shooting.

I want to turn it over to the congressman from the area, Congressman Joe Neguse.

Congressman Joe Neguse: (17:40)
Thank you, Governor Polis, for your leadership. I want to thank law enforcement in the Boulder County area for their incredible leadership, to District Attorney Michael Dougherty, to the chief of police, to the brave and heroic police officers with the Boulder Police Department whose actions yesterday truly saved lives, to the federal partners, interim US Attorney Kirsch and FBI special agent in charge, Schneider, for their efforts. The coordination, I think you’ll hear from law enforcement at the local, state, and federal level, has been strong and important as we deal with this terrible mass shooting here in our community.

It has been a devastating 24 hours for Boulder and for our state. Like the governor, this is my community. We lived in Boulder County for many years. My wife was born in Boulder. We went to school in Boulder. This is our community. And we are heartbroken, absolutely heartbroken, for the pain and the anguish that so many in our community and across our state are feeling today. 10 lives lost. 10 friends, neighbors, sisters, brothers, parents, colleagues, community members, families that are grieving today, woke up today without their loved ones, including an officer who bravely died in the line of duty, protecting this community, Officer Tally. His service and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Like many of you, my heart is heavy and it is in grief and in anguish. The loss of life is truly heartbreaking and unimaginable. And so our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers, are with the families of those victims, with the survivors of yesterday’s terrible mass shooting, with the frontline grocery store employees, and with every member of our community here in Boulder.

As the governor said yesterday, Coloradans went to their local King Soopers to pick up groceries, to buy eggs, some of them to get a COVID vaccine. And in a mere instant, our community was upturned by a senseless act of violence. This year as Coloradans, we have faced a lot of challenges. And in this year of separation due to COVID, of loss and of loneliness, grocery stores like King Soopers have been one of our consistent gathering places, one of the few routine activities that we’ve continued to engage in as Coloradans and as Americans. It’s hard to describe what it means for this safe place to see a horrible tragedy like this unfold.

There’s a lot that we don’t know; there’s a lot still unfolding from yesterday’s events. But let me simply say this: This cannot be our new normal. We should be able to feel safe in our grocery stores. We should be able to feel safe in our schools, in our movie theaters, and in our communities. We need to see a change because we have lost far too many lives.

As I said, I’ve lived in Boulder County for many years. And one thing I am sure of is this: Our community is strong, it is kind, it is compassionate, and it is resilient. And we will get through this together, as we comfort each other, and as we begin the process of healing in the coming days and weeks and tough months ahead. I’d now like to turn it over to the Mayor of Boulder, Sam Weaver.

Mayor Sam Weaver: (22:10)
Good morning. Today our city is grieving the senseless loss of 10 lives in our community. The people who were killed yesterday were individuals going about their daily business, when a man with a gun monstrously struck them down. They had family, and friends, loves, and passions, and dreams of tomorrows that will no longer come for them. We feel these losses in our bones. Some of us more deeply than others, but all of us are agonized by this tragedy. There will be time to come to pursue justice, repair damage, seek answers, and pursue remedies. But today we remember, we appreciate, and we honor the lives of those who were killed.

One of those who we remember is Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, who was gunned down as he valiantly protected those who were in mortal danger. Officer Tally, a truly heroic public servant, joins the ranks of six other Boulder police officers who have laid down their lives for the people of our city. We can never thank Officer Tally or his family enough for their sacrifice, but we will not forget it. Many are alive today because of the actions of Eric Talley and other first responders, and their bravery is a blessing to us all.

Boulder is a city full of giving and resilient people, and we will help each other heal and recover from this tragedy. Boulder is also an active and energetic community, and we will put our energy to …

… also an active and energetic community, and we will put our energy to use in repairing the civic fabric which has been torn. Boulder is a thoughtful and visionary community, and we will work to build a future in which tragedies like this live in a distant and unimaginable past. But today we will grieve and we will console one another, and we will remember the 10 precious souls that we lost yesterday. Thank you, and I’ll turn it over to Boulder DA, Michael Dougherty.

Michael Dougherty: (24:33)
Good morning. I’m Michael Dougherty, and I am the District Attorney for Boulder County. Yesterday, Boulder suffered a tragic and horrific attack. The victims, who were food shopping, were engaged in an everyday act, something we all do, and it turned out to be their last day on earth. I cannot imagine the pain and agony that their loved ones, their families are feeling right now. And to them, I want to say this: I promise you that all of us here will work tirelessly to support you and help you through this process, and also 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.

Officer Eric Talley died heroically. He was one of the many outstanding members of Boulder County Law Enforcement, and he’d been an officer here at the Boulder Police Department, and the patrol car behind us is here in his honor today. He died charging into the line of fire to save people where were simply trying to live their lives and go food shopping. And the man who gunned them down will be held fully responsible.

There were 10 people killed yesterday. The Chief, Chief Herold, read off the names of all 10. I would ask you to join me as a community, as a country, in honoring and respecting all 10 of the victims. The killer, his name, that will live in infamy. But today, let us remember the victims, and let us work tirelessly for them to make sure the right thing happens in this case. And I can promise you, that is our solemn commitment to the victims, and the families, and to this community.

Why did this happen? We don’t have the answer to that yet, and the investigation is in the very early stages, and the investigators are working hard to determine that, and that information will come. What I can tell you today is that Boulder, and Colorado, is giving its very best to the response of what happened. We’ve had agencies from all around the Metro area, district attorneys and prosecutors from all around the State of Colorado, law enforcement from every area around Boulder and Denver responding to help and give their very all to this vicious attack and to the investigation that will follow. So we are in the very early stages in the investigation. There is much to learn, but I really want to stress the incredible cooperation between federal, state, and local partners. It’s exactly what we should do in response to this kind of horrific act.

Having been at the Aurora movie theater shooting in the hours after that attack, I can tell you part of what made that response so incredibly important was that we had federal, state, and local partners responding together, working as a team, giving their every bit of effort, and energy, and commitment to ensuring justice for all the victims. That’s the kind of response we see in Boulder County here today. Again, just as back then, federal, state, and local partners working very closely to ensure that the right thing happens with the criminal case and that justice is done for each and every one of the 10 victims.

The arrest affidavit and arrest warrant were completed and signed at approximately 3:00 AM this morning. The offender, whose name has already been provided to you, is being held at a hospital currently. I anticipate that he’ll be released from the hospital shortly and then be transported to the Boulder County Jail. Once he’s booked into the Boulder County Jail, we will follow our normal protocol, and the affidavit and warrant has been cleared by my office to be released to the community and to the media. So to the media, you can expect that affidavit and warrant to be available for release after he’s booked into the jail, which again, at this point, I believe, will be later today, after his medical treatment is completed.

I do want to stress that the investigation is really in its early stages, and we’re going to work incredibly hard to see it through to completion. That completion is likely more than a year from now. But between now and that day, when justice is done for all 10 of these victims, I can promise you, we’re going to work together at the federal, state, and local levels to give this case our all, and to make sure we do justice for these victims. Nothing will replace, nothing can fill the void for the families and their loved ones, but I can promise you that we will hold him accountable. Thank you very much for being here, ladies and gentlemen. And I’m going to turn it over to US Attorney Matt Kirsch, and I really appreciate Mr. Kirsch and his team being here both last night and today.

Matt Kirsch: (29:40)
Good morning, everyone. I’m Matt Kirsch. I’m the US Attorney for the District of Colorado. You’ve already heard from most of the speakers this morning about how this investigation is proceeding, exactly as an investigation of this type should, with full cooperation between federal, state, and local authorities. I’m here to affirm for you on behalf of the federal law enforcement community that that is happening. The federal law enforcement community, including the US Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the ATF, and any other resources that are necessary in order to make sure that this investigation is full and complete will be brought to this investigation.

Matt Kirsch: (30:28)
I want to close by saying two more things. First of all, on behalf of the federal law enforcement community, I want to join in adding that community’s sincere condolences and sympathies to the victims, the victims’ families, their friends, and to the community at large. We know that the community and all of those people are grieving. We understand that our role, as Michael Dougherty just explained, is to seek justice for this tragic event, and my pledge to you is that is exactly what the federal law enforcement community is going to do. With that, I’m going to turn it over to Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Office, Michael Schneider. Thank you.

Michael Schneider: (31:17)
Good morning. As the US Attorney said, my name is Michael Schneider. I’m the Special Agent in Charge for the FBI here in Colorado. First and foremost, I want to offer my sincere condolences on behalf of the FBI to the Boulder Police Department and to the families of the victims of this senseless act of violence.

While we mourn the devastating loss, our objective is to conduct a thorough and meticulous investigation. The FBI is involved because of the resources we can bring to bear to support our law enforcement partners and the investigation. At this time, we are supporting evidence collection. We are supporting processing the crime scene. We are conducting interviews, and we are providing analytical support as we exploit all the evidence that is collected. As part of that process, we seek the public’s help. Any information that can be provided to aid our investigation, we ask be provided to the FBI. We have two means of providing that information. The first is digital media can be provided to fbi.gov/bouldershooting. You can also call the FBI’s Tip Line, which is 1-800-CALLFBI. Again, no information is too small, and we encourage the public to share any information they may have.

Our objective in this investigation is to conduct a thorough investigation, which includes identifying the subject’s motives. Our effort is ongoing. It’s been less than 24 hours since the shooting took place, and it would be premature for us to draw any conclusions at this point in time. I can tell you the community is safe, and we will continue to share updates as we conduct our investigation that can draw conclusions as a result of that investigation. We are grateful to the tremendous partnerships that exist here in this community. We are working very closely with the Boulder Police Department, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Us Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office. And we can assure the public we will follow every lead as we conduct our investigation and bring justice to the victims. Thank you.

Speaker 3: (33:26)
We’ll now take a few questions.

Speaker 4: (33:28)
The suspect that you have in custody, is that the man that you see in the video that was shot from a helicopter yesterday afternoon, being escorted out by two officers with the bloody leg? Is that the suspect that you’re speaking of?

Speaker 3: (33:41)
We’ll be releasing a photo of the suspect.

Speaker 5: (33:44)
Can you tell us at all anything about the suspect’s injuries in the hospital?

Speaker 6: (33:53)
He suffered a leg wound. It was a through and through wound to his leg, middle section of his leg, and that’s all-

Speaker 5: (34:02)
Is that from one of your officers, returning fire possibly?

Speaker 6: (34:04)
We’re not sure at this time.

Speaker 7: (34:06)
Is he known to law enforcement?

Speaker 6: (34:08)
Not that I know of, sir.

Speaker 8: (34:09)
Have investigators been able to speak with the suspect yet? And if so, have they provided a motive?

Speaker 6: (34:14)
No. No motive at this time.

Speaker 8: (34:15)
Have they spoken to him?

Speaker 9: (34:17)
[crosstalk 00:34:17] anything about it? [inaudible 00:34:18]?

Speaker 6: (34:19)
Nothing. I think it’s in the press release, but-

Speaker 3: (34:21)
It would be in the press release.

Speaker 8: (34:23)
Have investigators spoken with him?

Speaker 6: (34:26)
At this time, investigators have spoken with himm and I would let Michael Dougherty, who’s running that section of the investigation … Michael, do you want to speak to that?

Well, I do want to stress we’re in the very early stages of the investigation. The arrest affidavit and warrant is going to be released later today, once he’s booked into the Boulder County Jail, and we’re doing that to provide as much information as we can, as soon as we can. In terms of statements that he may have made to investigators, first, I want to stress that he’s innocent unless and until proven guilty, of course, as we do in every case. But more importantly, to your question, we’re collecting those statements now. We’ll be providing those in the weeks ahead. I don’t have a list of the statements he’s made up to this point, and the investigation is still in the very early stages.

Speaker 9: (35:12)
Can you tell us any more about him? He said he’s from Arvada. [inaudible 00:35:17]. Can you tell us any more about him?

His name and the community in which he lived is included in the press release. And yes, it was Arvada. I know that there’s an extensive investigation just getting underway into his background. He’s lived most of his life in the United States, and beyond that, we’re still in the very early stages of the investigation.

Speaker 10: (35:36)
You mentioned that the community is safe. Do you know, was he working alone? Was he the only suspect?

Speaker 9: (35:42)
At this time, we fully believe, we’re very confident that the community is safe, and that he … I’m sorry. Just one second. And that he was the only person involved. Obviously it’s early in the investigation. We’re going to continue to run down every lead. I will just briefly say, I’m glad you asked that question, there was a name going around social media and the media yesterday. You will recognize that it’s-

… going around social media and the media yesterday. You will recognize that it’s not the individual who’s been charged. We don’t believe there was any connection whatsoever between those two individuals. So to the extent that was reported on in the media and social media, I think people were doing their best to get information out, but he does not appear to be connected to this at all.

Reporters: (36:18)
This question is for the chief.

Sure.

Reporters: (36:19)
It seems that in describing the names of the deceased and what happened that this wasn’t just about the work today. This was personally very difficult for you. Can you describe what emotions you’re going through right now?

No, no. I’s hard. It’s challenging. I live three blocks up the street from that store. You’re worried about your neighbors. You’re worried about your partners. 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. This officer had seven children, ages 5 to 18. I just had that officer’s whole family in my office two weeks ago to give him an award. So it is personal. This is my community. I live here, and to have something like this happen so close to where you live and to know the fear in the community and to know that the officers sacrificed themselves, it’s heartbreaking.

Reporters: (37:45)
Can you tell us a little bit more about Officer Talley, what he was like and …

Yeah. I can tell you that he’s a very kind man, and he didn’t have to go into policing. He had a profession before this, but he felt a higher calling, and he loved this community. He’s everything that policing deserves and needs. He cared about this community. He cared about Boulder Police Department. He cared about his family, and he was willing to die to protect others. That gets lost in translation.

Reporters: (38:30)
Chief, we’re very grateful for your [inaudible 00:38:35] so sorry. Can you tell us anything else [inaudible 00:38:41] shoppers and the [inaudible 00:38:45]?

I don’t know all the details at this time. All I can tell you is I’ve spoken to some of their families, and I can just tell you that they’re heartbroken. This is the worst call you could ever receive as a family member.

Reporters: (38:59)
Some of them are in their 20s. Are any CU Boulder students?

Not that we know of. We have checked with CU, and at this time, we do not believe … Obviously, preliminary information, but at this time we do not believe were CU students.

Reporters: (39:12)
Are you able to share anything about the order of events, when the first police call came in and what action was taken after that?

I am not. I just know we started receiving calls for service at 2:30 PM. Obviously, we received a barrage of calls for service for shots fired. I believe we received one call with a man with some type of patrol rifle, and they came in back to back to back.

Reporters: (39:39)
Can you tell us anything about the award the officer was given [inaudible 00:39:39]?

Yeah. Actually, the award was for Officer Talley’s son. Officer Tally taught CPR. He taught his family CPR, and Officer Tally, one of his sons swallowed a quarter. Because Officer Tally taught his children CPR, one of the sons was able to save the little boy’s life. So the Boulder Police Department just gave his son an award for lifesaving.

Reporters: (40:12)
Chief, I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I’m sure your department and your fellow officers are just in shock, but what do you tell your officers who are going out today for another day of work?

All my officers are doubled up, and thanks to the state and all of the local authorities that are here, have offered to run calls of service for us. None of my officers wanted to do that, so we partnered them up, and they want to be out with the community.

Reporters: (40:45)
Chief, what do you tell them, just as a person? I know you’re talking in your capacity here as the chief, but what do you tell them when they put the badge on and go out?

I tell him that I’m sorry. We’re going to get through this. Don’t lose your compassion, and we’ll get through this. We’ll come out of it stronger.

Reporters: (41:07)
Chief, can you talk more about Officer Tally’s actions yesterday?

So I think we’re about to wrap up questions. Just to fill in for one of the questions that were asked, Chief Harold met with some of the victim families last night. Other victim families were notified by other members of the Boulder Police Department and the coroner’s office. Those notifications were completed, as reflected in the press release, at around 4:00 in the morning. You asked about how officers are doing, and someone had asked about the mood amongst the investigators. I would describe it as very determined and very focused. There’s a lot of work to be done. So we have local, state, and federal law enforcement inside this building and at the crime scene and at different locations throughout the Metro area, working on this case right now. So to answer your question, I would say the group is very focused on the work that is going to be done. We recognize the trauma that’s been inflicted upon the victims’ families and also upon our community, and that is going to drive us to do everything we need to do to see this case, the right result. So I’m going to turn it over to Dion.

Reporters: (42:11)
[crosstalk 00:42:11]. Can you tell us how many shots were fired? What kind of weapon did the suspect use?

So some of that information is going to be contained in the arrest affidavit that’s coming out later today. Some of those details still need to be nailed down, so I’m going to hold off on that. After the arrest affidavit comes out, if you have additional questions about it, you can let me know or let Dion know, actually, if you don’t mind. But that’s still in the early stages. The crime scene is being processed, thanks to the evidence recovery team of the FBI. I mean, they are the best of the best. So they’re going to be at the King Soopers, I anticipate, for the next couple of days, and we’ll continue to have updates about the crime scene, the investigation, and the prosecution of the individual who’s wholly responsible for the 10 victims who were killed.

Reporters: (42:51)
When do you think the suspect will be released from the hospital?

I anticipate that the suspect will be released from the hospital today. Obviously, that’s based on what his doctors are saying, so that could change, of course. But if he is released today, he’ll be transported to the Boulder County Jail, booked into the jail, and then the affidavit and warrant will be available to all of you. I’m going to turn it back over to Dion, but I really do appreciate all of you being here today. Thank you.

Reporters: (43:13)
[inaudible 00:43:13] that the suspect-

Dion: (43:15)
We appreciate all the questions. This is all the time we have for the questions this morning. Thank you, everyone, for coming. We will continue to have updates. I’m going to send out this press release to everyone. Thank you, everyone. I can spell any names, and I can print out more of these. I can just email all of them to you, but that is all the questions we can take this morning. We will hope to have another update later today. We will post that information on Twitter as soon as we know. So do you want me to spell the names?

Reporters: (43:41)
[inaudible 00:43:41] the suspect.

Dion: (43:47)
All right. The suspect, Ahmad, A-H-M-A-D, Al, A-L. The next word, A-L-I-W-I. Last name, A-L-I-S as in Sam, S as in Sam, A.

Reporters: (44:06)
What country was he from originally?

Dion: (44:11)
I do not know. I know that he has a local address in Arvada, and he is 21 years of age.

Reporters: (44:16)
20 or 21?

Dion: (44:18)
21.

Reporters: (44:20)
Thank you.

Dion: (44:23)
Victim names. Denny Strong, D as in David, E-N-N-Y, Strong, S-T-R-O-N-G. He was 20 years old. Neven Stanisic, first name N as in Nathan, E-V as in Victor, E-N as in Nathan, last name, S as in Sam, T as in Tom, A-N as in Nathan, I- S as in Sam, I-C, 23. Rikki Olds, R-I-K-K-I, Olds, O-L-D-S, 25. Tralona Bartkowiak T-R-A-L-O-N-A, last name B-A-R-T-K-O-W-I-A-K.

Reporters: (45:40)
B as in boy?

Dion: (45:41)
B as in boy, 49. Suzanne Fountain, S-U-Z-A-N-N-E, Fountain, F-O-U-N-T-A-I-N, 59. Teri Leiker, T-E-R-I, last name L-E-I-K-E-R, 51. Eric Talley, E-R-I-C T-A-L-L-E-Y, 51. Kevin Mahoney, K-E-V-I-N M- A-H-O-N-E-Y, 61. Lynn Murray, L-Y-N-N M-U-R-R-A-Y, 62. Jody Waters, J-O-D-Y W-A-T-E-R-S. 65. Again, we have assigned a PIO liaison to each of these families. Please respect their privacy. The liaison will let you know if they are interested in speaking with any of you. Please respect their privacy.

Reporters: (47:12)
Are the victims’ families [inaudible 00:47:17]?

Dion: (47:18)
I am not sure. That is public information. Sadly, we have to let them know. So all right.

Reporters: (47:25)
Thank you.

Dion: (47:26)
Thank you. I’m going to email this out with all this information.

Boulder Police Press Conference Transcript: Supermarket Shooting Update March 23

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