Harris calls Boulder shooting ‘absolutely tragic’

Vice President Harris on Tuesday called a shooting at a Colorado grocery store that left 10 people dead “absolutely tragic.”

“It’s absolutely tragic,” Harris told reporters when asked to react to the shooting that took place in Boulder on Monday evening. “Ten people going about their day, living their lives, not bothering anybody. A police officer who is performing his duties, and with great courage and heroism.”

Harris did not answer a shouted question as to whether gun legislation is more of a priority for the White House in the wake of the shooting. 

The White House says that President Biden is being briefed regularly on the violence, which is the latest mass shooting to take place in the United States and comes less than a week after eight people were killed in shootings that targeted massage parlors in Atlanta.

Biden is expected to deliver brief remarks on the shooting before departing for a trip to Ohio Tuesday afternoon. He also directed that all White House flags be flown at half staff. 

Monday’s shooting took place at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder. Ten people were killed, including an officer responding to the shooting who has been identified by law enforcement as Eric Talley. Harris noted Tuesday that the officer leaves behind seven children. 

A 21-year-old suspect is in custody and was identified by police at a press conference on Tuesday along with other victims in the shooting.

Harris made the brief comments during a swearing-in event for William Burns, who was recently confirmed to be CIA director under the Biden administration. Biden is slated to travel to Ohio later Tuesday and deliver remarks marking the 11th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. 

The mass shooting is likely to renew calls for action on gun control. Just last week, both Biden and Harris delivered remarks in Atlanta decrying anti-Asian violence after a gunman shot and killed eight people, including six Asian women, at spas in the area.

— Updated at 11:30 a.m.