Police officer Eric Talley was one of 10 people killed during a shooting at a Boulder, Colorado, grocery store on Monday afternoon. He was 51.
Talley was the first to respond to the scene after the department began receiving calls of an active shooter at King Soopers located at 3600 Table Mesa Drive around 2:30 p.m. local time.
He was fatally shot, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said during a press conference.
Talley had been with the police department since 2010, according to Herold She called his actions in responding to the incident "heroic."
"My heart goes out to the victims of this incident and I'm grateful for the police officers who responded," she said. "I am so sorry about the loss of Officer Talley."
District Attorney Michael Dougherty also extended his condolences to Talley's family, friends, and colleagues.
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"He was by all accounts one of the outstanding officers of the Boulder Police Department and his life was cut far too short," he said.
Local, state, and federal authorities responded to the incident, including the FBI and ATF. The investigation is ongoing, and it will likely take at least five days to complete, Herold said.
However, she added that "I want to reassure the community that they are safe."
The Boulder Police Department is working to identify the other nine victims of the shooting and notify next of kin, officials said.
Dougherty said local officials are working with state and federal agencies to "secure justice" in the case.
"These were people going about their day, doing their food shopping, and their lives were cut abruptly and tragically short by the shooter," he said.
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Police said the suspect — who was identified as a male — is in custody and was injured during the shooting.
A shopper who was inside the King Soopers when gunfire broke told The Denver Post the shooter entered the building, "let off a couple of shots, then was silent, and then he let off a couple more."
"He wasn't spraying," the witness said.
Another witness told KCNC-TV that they heard "15 to 20" gunshots within a matter of seconds.
Several state and local officials have publicly expressed their grief toward the incident.
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"Words can do no justice to the tragedy that has unfolded this afternoon," Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver tweeted. "Our community will soon grieve our losses, and begin our healing. Our brave police officers and first responders have the gratitude of our entire city."
Colorado Governor Jared Polis also released a statement in the wake of the incident, writing on Twitter, "Like my fellow Coloradans, I am closely watching unfolding events at King Soopers in Boulder. My prayers are with our fellow Coloradans in this time of sadness and grief as we learn more about the extent of the tragedy."
"My heart is breaking as we watch this unspeakable event unfold in our Boulder community. We are making every public safety resource available to assist the Boulder County Sheriff's Department as they work to secure the store," Polis said in a follow-up statement. "I'm incredibly grateful to the brave men and women who have responded to the scene to help the victims of this senseless tragedy."
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