Hero officer Eric Talley killed in Boulder shooting had ‘wanted job off front lines’ as 10 victims named
HERO officer Eric Talley who was killed in the Boulder shooting had "wanted a job off the front lines" as 10 victims are named.
ranged in age from 20 to 65 and Mayor Sam Weaver said the community felt this loss "in our bones."
Denny Strong, 20, Neven Stoanisic, 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 were the 10 victims.
, 51, a dad of kids as young as five, was one of the first on the scene and was gunned down as he raced inside to tackle the killer minutes after the rampage began at 2.30pm.
Weaver described him as a truly heroic public servant and said "we can never thank Officer Talley or his family enough for his sacrifice."
His sister, Kirstin, posted a heartfelt tribute for her officer brother just hours after he died.
WHAT WE KNOW:
- Ten people died in a gun massacre at a supermarket in Boulder.
- Witnesses said a man in tactical body armor shot victims one by one with a rifle.
- A bearded suspect wearing only his underwear and covered in blood was led away in handcuffs.
- The injured suspect was taken to hospital for treatment.
- Boulder police officer , 51, was killed as he responded to reports of an active shooter.
- Rikki Olds, 25, was named among the dead by her family.
"Officer Eric Talley is my big brother. He died today in the Boulder shooting. My heart is broken," she .
"I cannot explain how beautiful he was and what a devastating loss this is to so many. Fly high my sweet brother. You always wanted to be a pilot (damn color blindness). Soar."
Eric's father, Homer Talley, also shared a statement following his son's tragic death.
"He loved his kids and his family more than anything," he said in a statement.
"He was looking for a job to keep himself off of the front lines and was learning to be a drone operator. He didn’t want to put his family through something like this, and he believed in Jesus Christ."
Up until his death, Talley served for the Boulder department for 10 years, despite wanting to pursue a career away from the services.
Speaking about the shooting this afternoon, President said: "“I don’t need to wait another minute — or another hour — to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future."
";We should also ban assault weapons in the process," he added, calling on Congress to act in the wake of such horrific gun violence and describing Talley as a "real American hero."
Rikki Olds was also named as one of the victims in online posts by her family.
"We lost our beloved Rikki Olds to the monster who shot up the king soopers in Boulder CO yesterday may his rotten a** fry and burn in hell," aunt Lori Olds wrote on Facebook.
Kevin Mahoney's daughter, Erika, posted a touching tribute to her father on Twitter alongside photographs of him walking her down the aisle at her wedding, dubbing him her "hero."
"I am heartbroken to announce that my Dad, my hero, Kevin Mahoney, was killed in the King Soopers shooting in my hometown of Boulder, CO. My dad represents all things Love. I'm so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer," she .
Erika went on to heartbreakingly announce: "I am now pregnant. I know he wants me to be strong for his granddaughter."
She then thanked the Boulder police for their kindness, before concluding: "I love you forever Dad. You are always with me."
Suspect , 21, has been charged after with an AR-15-style rifle, leaving 10 dead.
However, according to , Ahmad previously had two run-ins with Boulder cops in 2018 - one on a report of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and one of criminal mischief. It is not clear if he was convicted of a crime.
Law enforcement officials also told the outlet that Ahmad was known by the FBI because he was linked to another individual under investigation by the bureau.
Ali Aliwi Alissa, the suspect's 34-year-old brother, told that Ahmad was "very anti-social".
During high school, and feared that someone was "behind him" and "looking for him", his brother revealed.
"When he was having lunch with my sister in a restaurant, he said, 'People are in the parking lot, they are looking for me.' She went out, and there was no one. We didn’t know what was going on in his head," Alissa told the outlet, reportedly admitting that he believes his brother is mentally ill.
The alleged shooter bought an assault rifle six days before opening fire inside a crowded Colorado supermarket, according to an arrest affidavit released on Tuesday.
The suspect's brother told the Beast that his house was searched by authorities following the shooting.
According to a Facebook page, that appeared to be Ahmad's, he was "born in Syria 1999" before he "came to the USA in 2002."
The 21-year-old would post regularly on Facebook, including sharing the hashtag "NeedAGirlfriend" and sharing memes about video games.
He also made a claim that "racist Islamophobic people" were "hacking my phone" and stopping him from having a "normal life."
Ahmad also shared a video that's caption claimed it showed a "corrections officer turn off his body cam before repeatedly punching an inmate with a mental health condition," which he caption: "This is not okay."
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His school, Arvada West High School, confirmed to The Sun that Alissa was a student from March 2015 until he graduated in May 2018.
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"Jeffco Public Schools and the Board of Education are saddened by the tragic event that took place in Boulder," the school said.
"We share the heartbreak of the families, coworkers, and friends of the victims and of the Colorado community that again faces another senseless act of violence."