BOULDER, Colo. – Lawyers revealed on Tuesday that state experts have determined the man responsible for the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of 10 individuals at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 suffered from untreated mental illness. Despite this, the experts concluded that he was legally sane at the time of the attack.
During a court hearing, attorneys discussed the results of the sanity evaluation conducted on Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa at the state mental hospital. Alissa, dressed in a jail uniform with his wrists in shackles, listened alongside relatives of the victims. The defense disclosed that the evaluators attributed the attack to Alissa’s untreated mental illness, specifically schizophrenia that included auditory hallucinations. They noted a level of uncertainty in their conclusion regarding his sanity, without providing further details.
Prosecutors chose not to divulge any specifics during the hearing about the findings of the evaluation. District Attorney Michael Dougherty refrained from commenting on the defense’s description of the evaluation’s results, emphasizing that these issues would be thoroughly examined during the upcoming trial.
Alissa, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, stands accused of perpetrating the shooting on March 22, 2021, at a King Soopers store in Boulder. The plea suggests his legal team argues that he was unable to differentiate between right and wrong at the time, therefore should not face criminal conviction.
Following the shooting, concerns about Alissa’s mental health were raised, leading to a delay in court proceedings to assess his competency. After being medically treated and deemed mentally fit to proceed, he entered the not guilty by reason of insanity plea in November.
At the recent hearing, the defense’s request for a second evaluation of Alissa’s sanity at the time of the shooting was granted. However, the proposal to delay the trial until March 2025 was rejected, with the trial now scheduled to commence on September 2. Despite objections from victims’ relatives, the judge opted for only a one-month delay to allow closure for the families before the fall holidays.
Erika Mahoney, whose father was among the victims, expressed relief that the trial is moving forward, underscoring the importance of closure for the affected families. The decision to proceed with the trial without significant delay was welcomed by those impacted, offering a sense of progress and the ability to move forward in the wake of the tragedy.