When a gunman opened fire at a Colorado supermarket, killing 10 people, two teenage girls hid in an upstairs closet for an hour before they were rescued by police, according to their grandfather.
The girls were at the King Soopers in Boulder with their father, who was getting a COVID-19 vaccine, when all hell broke loose, their grandfather Steven McHugh told NBC affiliate KUSA.
“There was shooting, and he saw it and got the girls down. They ran and hid upstairs in a coat closet for an hour — in the coats,” he said.
Police guard people evacuated after the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, on March 22, 2021. Michael Ciaglo/USA Today Network via Reuters“They were communicating with my daughter through his phone, texting, and then the cops came in through the roof, protecting them,” McHugh continued.
Steven McHugh’s two granddaughters and son-in-law were inside King Soopers to get a COVID shot when the shooting happened. 9NEWS“They’re out now. Out the back. This is going to be pretty hard for them to live with, I think … Every city is susceptible, but there’s a way in which, I would think, well, this isn’t going to happen in Boulder. And now we know better,” he added.
Ten people — including Boulder police officer Eric Talley, a father of seven — were killed in the rampage. A suspect, who was injured, is in custody.
Crime scene investigators walk outside the entrance of the King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty ImagesThe identities of the other nine victims and the suspect have not been released.
In a statement, King Soopers said: “We are horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless violence that occurred at our King Soopers store located on Table Mesa Drive in Boulder, Colo.
“The entire King Soopers family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation,” it continued.
“We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and our store will remain closed during the police investigation. To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are referring questions to the Boulder Police Department.”
