A man named Ahmad Alissa was found guilty of killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in 2021. He was convicted of murder and is facing life in prison. Alissa, who has schizophrenia, did not dispute that he shot and killed 10 people, including a police officer, in Boulder. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming he couldn’t tell right from wrong at the time of the attack.
During the trial, Alissa did not react visibly as the guilty verdicts were read against him. The courtroom was filled with victims’ families, police officers, and some members of Alissa’s family. He started shooting immediately after arriving at the supermarket, killing most of his victims in just over a minute. Prosecutors argued that he showed an ability to make decisions by pursuing people who were trying to hide from him.
Alissa came prepared with steel-piercing bullets and illegal magazines, indicating that he deliberately planned for a deadly attack. His family testified that he became withdrawn and paranoid in the years leading up to the shooting, with his condition worsening after contracting COVID-19. The state forensic psychologists who evaluated Alissa concluded that he was sane during the shooting, despite his claims of hearing voices.
Throughout the trial, Alissa’s family members attended and watched graphic videos of the attack. Prosecutors did not provide a clear motive for the shooting, but Alissa had searched online for public places to attack in Boulder before deciding on the supermarket. Witnesses testified about their harrowing experiences during the shooting, with some hiding among shelves and hearing Alissa express that he found the attack “fun.”
Alissa’s mother mentioned that she believed her son was sick, while his father thought he was possessed by an evil spirit. However, they did not seek any treatment for him due to cultural beliefs. Despite claiming to hear voices, the state psychologists believed that Alissa knew his actions were wrong, as he expressed fear of being jailed or killed by the police.
In conclusion, Ahmad Alissa has been found guilty of the tragic shooting that took the lives of 10 individuals in Boulder. His mental state and the events leading up to the attack shed light on the complexities of mental illness and its implications in criminal cases. The trial highlighted the devastating impact of such acts of violence on the victims’ families and the community as a whole.
