Trial Set for Boulder Supermarket Shooting Suspect Found Competent
After months of legal deliberation regarding his competency to stand trial, the state of Colorado has determined that Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, the suspect charged with killing 10 people at a Boulder King Soopers supermarket in March 2021, is competent to proceed to trial. The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) conducted a new evaluation on Alissa and concluded that he does not currently have a mental or developmental disability that would hinder his ability to consult with his lawyer or understand the proceedings against him.
Alissa is facing a total of 115 criminal charges, including 10 counts of first-degree murder, with an additional eight counts of attempted murder added in May 2021. Despite previously being deemed mentally incompetent on multiple occasions, he was sent to the state mental hospital for treatment in December 2021.
Prosecutors had requested to bring in their own expert to evaluate Alissa’s mental competence in March 2022, but their request was denied. The initial court ruling indicated that while Alissa appeared to understand the charges and potential sentences, doctors believed that his mental health diagnosis hindered his ability to engage in meaningful conversation.
In March 2023, prosecutors once again sought a request for an evaluation by an outside neuropsychologist, but the judge ruled against it, stating that such decisions were within the purview of the Colorado Mental Health Institute of Pueblo.
In response to the latest ruling, the District Attorney’s office has started notifying victims and their families and has filed a motion with the court to schedule a preliminary hearing as soon as possible.
The shooting at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder claimed the lives of Suzanne Fountain, Rikki Olds, Officer Eric Talley, Jody Waters, Denny Stong, Tralona Bartkowiak, Neven Stanisic, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, and Teri Leiker.
Please stay tuned for more updates on this case as it develops.
