A jury has found 25-year-old Ahmad Alissa guilty of murder in the 2021 shooting at a Colorado grocery store that left 10 people dead. The jury rejected the defence’s plea that Alissa was insane at the time of the shooting, despite evidence of schizophrenia and hearing voices. District Attorney Michael Dougherty argued that the nature of the attack showed intent and deliberation.
During the trial, it was revealed that Alissa carried illegal magazines and steel-piercing bullets, and started shooting as soon as he arrived at the store. Prosecutors argued that his actions, including chasing down victims and targeting others who were hiding, demonstrated sanity. State forensic psychologists acknowledged the role of voices in the attack but could not definitively say it was solely due to mental illness.
Alissa’s family reported his increased paranoia and withdrawal leading up to the shooting, but he had not received mental health treatment. The verdict, which could result in a life sentence, highlighted the distinction in Colorado law between mental illness and insanity. The trial featured harrowing testimonies from survivors, including a doctor who hid among potato chip bags and a pharmacist who heard Alissa say “This is fun” while firing his weapon.
Prosecutors mentioned Alissa’s Syrian background but did not provide a clear motive for the attack beyond research on possible locations for an attack. Overall, the trial shed light on the complexities and tragedies involved in cases of mass shootings and mental illness.
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