American man from Colorado, identified as Ahmad Alissa convicted of killing 10 people at a supermarket in 2021 now faces life in prison.
Alissa, diagnosed with schizophrenia, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but his defense was rejected by the jury on Monday.
He was found guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder, 38 counts of attempted murder, one count of assault, and six counts of possessing illegal large-capacity magazines.
During the trial, Alissa’s defense team did not dispute that he fatally shot 10 people, including a police officer, in the college town of Boulder.
However, they argued that he was unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the attack due to his mental illness. Despite this, the jury found him sane at the time of the shooting.
Alissa showed no visible reaction as the judge read out the verdicts. He sat quietly at the defense table, occasionally communicating with his lawyers.
Judge Ingrid Bakke had previously cautioned against any outbursts in the courtroom, but the reading of the guilty verdicts was met with subdued tears and muffled sobs from the victims’ families and friends.
The courtroom was filled with victims’ relatives, law enforcement officers, and several members of Alissa’s own family, who had traveled from Syria to support him.
Alissa’s family members testified that he had become withdrawn and exhibited paranoid behaviour years before the shooting, which worsened after contracting COVID-19 in 2020. Despite these concerns, no treatment was sought due to cultural stigma.
On the day of the attack, Alissa drove from his home in Arvada to Boulder and immediately began shooting upon exiting his vehicle in the parking lot of a King Soopers supermarket.
He killed most of his victims within just over a minute and was apprehended after being shot in the leg by a responding officer.
Prosecutors argued that Alissa’s actions were deliberate, emphasizing that he brought steel-piercing bullets and illegal magazines capable of holding 30 rounds of ammunition, which demonstrated his intention to inflict maximum harm.
They also pointed out his decision-making during the attack, noting that he targeted individuals trying to escape or hide while sparing a 91-year-old man who continued shopping, oblivious to the violence around him.
Despite acknowledging Alissa’s mental illness, state forensic psychologists concluded he was not legally insane at the time of the shooting.
They testified that although he heard voices, Alissa did not experience delusions and understood that his actions were wrong.
His concern about being caught or killed by police further indicated that he was aware of the consequences of his actions.
The defense, however, highlighted that the state’s psychologists expressed some uncertainty in their conclusions, partly because Alissa did not provide more detailed information about the voices he claimed to hear.
Defense attorneys argued that these voices played a significant role in the attack and that the shooting would not have occurred if Alissa had not been mentally ill.
The two-week trial was marked by harrowing testimonies from survivors and graphic surveillance footage.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as they fled for their lives, while others recounted hiding and helping those around them reach safety.
A pharmacist testified that she heard Alissa say, “This is fun,” several times as he moved through the store, indiscriminately firing his semi-automatic weapon.
Prosecutors did not establish a clear motive for the shooting. Alissa had conducted online searches for public places to attack in Boulder, initially considering bars and restaurants before shifting his focus to large stores the day before the shooting.
On the day of the massacre, he drove directly to the first supermarket he encountered in Boulder, where he began his rampage.
Alissa’s parents took the stand, with his mother describing her son as “sick,” while his father attributed his behavior to possession by a jinn, or evil spirit, and admitted that cultural shame prevented them from seeking help.
The tragic event has left lasting scars on the community, with families still grappling with their loss as Alissa awaits sentencing.
