Armed police responded to reports of a shooting
Credit: REUTERS
Multiple people including a police officer were killed by a gunman at a US supermarket on Monday in the latest mass shooting in the western state of Colorado, police said.
One "person of interest" is injured and in custody, Boulder police commander Kerry Yamaguchi told reporters, following the incident at the King Soopers store.
"We have multiple people who were killed in this incident. And I am sorry to have to report that one of them was a Boulder police officer," said Ms Yamaguchi.
Police have declined to confirm how many people were killed in the shooting, but said the only injured person was the suspected attacker.
An eyewitness told the Associated Press that he heard gunshots and saw three people laying face down, two in the car park and one near the doorway. He said he "couldn’t tell if they were breathing".
Colorado governor Jared Polis and Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver each referred to the incident as a "tragedy" in statements on Twitter.
Officers are working at the scene where a number of people are confirmed to have died
Credit: AP
"Words can do no justice to the tragedy that has unfolded this afternoon," Mr Weaver said.
"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."
Officers were reportedly shot at as they responded to a report of a person hit with gunfire in the car park outside the store, a law enforcement source told ABC News.
Live-streamed video showed a white middle-aged man — shirtless and seemingly covered in blood — being detained by police and led away from the store.
Eyewitnesses inside the store at the time of the shooting said they heard multiple gunshots before fleeing through a back entrance.
Damaged windows on the outside of the store
Credit: AP
"I just nearly got killed for getting a soda and a bag of chips," Ryan Borowski, who was in the store when he heard at least eight gunshots and escaped, told CNN.
"It felt amazing that everybody was helping each other out and that our instincts were on the same page and we ran… I don’t know why other people didn’t, and I’m sorry that they froze. I wish that this just didn’t happen."
Mr Polis said he was still "closely watching unfolding events".
"My prayers are with our fellow Coloradans in this time of sadness and grief as we learn more about the extent of the tragedy," he wrote.
Armoured vehicles attended the scene
Credit: AP
Armoured vehicles, at least six ambulances and dozens of personnel including FBI agents and at least one SWAT team were deployed to the scene.
"Our SWAT team is on the way to assist," tweeted the sheriff’s department of neighbouring Jefferson County.
Unverified early images appeared to show at least three wounded people lying prone on the ground both inside and immediately outside the store, as multiple gunshots rang out.
Later, shoppers who had been led safely out of the store sat wrapped in blankets, talking to emergency workers.
The city of Boulder is located around 30 miles (50 kilometres) northwest of the state capital Denver, in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
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