Antonio Busalacchi, the president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, has issued the following statement on the March 22 mass shooting in Boulder: 

We were deeply saddened by the terrible act of violence that occurred yesterday in our community. The King Soopers grocery store where this shooting happened sits at the foot of the hill in south Boulder where the NCAR Mesa Lab is based, and it is often frequented by our staff. We have confirmed that none of our employees or visitors were among the victims. I am grateful for this news, but my heart is with those who were affected by this tragedy. My deepest condolences go to the families of the 10 people who died, including Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, who rushed into King Soopers in the face of extreme danger in an effort to save lives. We are also very grateful to all the first responders from across the metro area who arrested the suspect and prevented even more violence, as well as to the King Soopers employees who acted so courageously as they quickly directed shoppers into hiding places and toward exits.

We have seen mass shootings in the news before, but it is a particularly horrifying feeling when the violence occurs at a familiar location, and one in which you often run into your friends and neighbors. For this reason, we feel this loss especially deeply. We have taken steps to provide counseling services to our staff, and we encourage our employees to take off the time they need as they process this terrible event. I am hopeful that we can all come together as a community as we comfort those who were affected by the tragedy.

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