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Colorado supermarket shooting suspect showing signs of schizophrenia, still unfit for trial
By Paul Best
Published January 29, 2023
The Colorado man charged with shooting and killing 10 people at a supermarket in the college town of Boulder nearly two years ago is still unfit for trial and displaying symptoms of schizophrenia, a judge and prosecutors said Friday.
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 23, allegedly opened fire with a Ruger AR-556 pistol at the King Soopers store in March 2021, killing multiple shoppers and employees, as well as a police officer who rushed in to try to stop the attack.
Judge Ingrid Bakke first found him to be mentally incompetent in December 2021 and ordered him to a state mental hospital in hopes that treatment and medication would make him well enough for trial.
FILE - In this Thursday, March 25, 2021, photo, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa appears before Boulder District Court Judge Thomas Mulvahill at the Boulder County Justice Center in Boulder, Colorado. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via AP, Pool, File)
Prosecutors said Friday that they want an expert to perform a "forensic neuropsychological assessment" because Alissa is displaying symptoms of schizophrenia.
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A previous evaluation in 2021 said he was diagnosed with an unspecified mental health condition that limited his ability to "meaningfully converse with others," according to court documents.
Judge Bakke said Friday that Alissa has a "reasonable likelihood" of reaching competency.
BOULDER, CO - MARCH 22: Police used armored vehicles to smash windows and walls to gain access as a gunman opened fire at a King Soopers grocery store on March 22, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado. (Chet Strange/Getty Images)
Alissa is charged with ten counts of first-degree murder, dozens of counts of attempted murder, and other crimes. He has not yet entered a plea and investigators have not revealed a motive for the attack.
The next competency status update is scheduled for April 28. Alissa's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-supermarket-shooting-suspect-showing-signs-schizophrenia-unfit-trial