Walz orders flags at half-staff in honor of Boulder shooting victims

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - In honor of the 10 people killed by a gunman in a grocery store in Colorado, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is ordering flags to be flown at half-staff through sunset on Saturday, according to the governor's office.

The order is effective immediately and impacts state and federal buildings, but residents, businesses and other groups are encouraged to participate. This comes following a proclamation from President Joe Biden calling on all states to mourn the lives lost in the mass shooting.

Ex-Minnesotan living in Boulder witnesses shooting from inside store

Realtor Brian Kruesi moved from Minnesota to Colorado less than two months ago and was running errands near his home Monday when he witnessed a gunman open fire on a Boulder, Colorado supermarket.

"The mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado is heartbreaking and devasting to the Boulder community and the rest of our nation," said Governor Walz in a press release. "We mourn the loss of the victims of this senseless act of violence, and the pain we experience as a nation is only amplified for the friends and families of the victims. Minnesota joins states across the nation to remember and honor the victims whose lives were lost."

Last week, Walz ordered flags to be lowered from March 16 to March 22 to honor the eight victims of the deadly shootings at spa in Atlanta, Georgia. In February, Walz also ordered for flags to be at half-staff following the deadly shooting at the Allina Health clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota.