OAN’s Abril Elfi
1:19 PM – Saturday, October 7, 202
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, the man suspected of killing 10 people in a mass shooting at a Colorado grocery store in 2021, has been ruled competent for trial.
Advertisement
On Friday, a District Judge Ingrid Bakke ruled that Alissa is competent to stand trial and he will remain in custody at a Colorado hospital where he will be taking his medication to ensure he maintains his competency.
Bakke had originally ruled the alleged suspect incompetent to stand trial in December of 2021 after doctors reportedly determined that his condition got worse while in prison and that is when they made the decision to transfer him to a state hospital.
Alissa is accused of the mass shooting on March 22, 2021 at a King Soopers that resulted in the killing of 10 people, including a police officer and a store manager.
In her recent order, Bakke restored the suspect’s competency stating that even though he was diagnosed with schizophrenia he is not suffering delusions that interfere with his ability to stand trial.
Bakke said that even though she knows that her court does not have the authority to force Alissa to stay at the Colorado Mental Health Institute (CMHI) once he is deemed competent to stand trial, but she “strongly urged” the state hospital to keep him because of the “gravity of this case.”
The CMHI approved the request shortly after the ruling, deeming that it is necessary while the case is still ongoing.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty released a statement where he said that his office is pleased with the court’s decision as it “provides some hope for the victim families that this case will move forward and that justice will be done. We will never stop fighting for the right outcome in this case.”
According to court documents and a police report, the defendant pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of third-degree assault in 2018 after beating a high school classmate the previous year.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, 48 hours of community service, and anger management treatment.
Alissa faces a total of 54 charges which include ten counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisement