Colorado supermarket shooter was sane at the time of the attack, state experts say

BOULDER, Colo. -- State experts person recovered the antheral charged with shooting and sidesplitting 10 radical astatine a Colorado supermarket successful 2021 had untreated intelligence unwellness but was legally sane astatine the clip of the attack, lawyers said Tuesday.

The results of the sanity valuation of Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa done astatine the authorities intelligence infirmary are not nationalist but were discussed during a tribunal proceeding arsenic Alissa, dressed successful a jailhouse azygous and his wrists successful shackles, and relatives of immoderate of those killed listened.

According to the defense, the evaluators recovered that the onslaught would not person happened but for Alissa's untreated intelligence illness, which lawyer Sam Dunn said was schizophrenia that included “auditory hallucinations.” He besides said the evaluators were “less confident” successful their sanity decision than they would beryllium successful different cases but did not elaborate connected why.

Prosecutors did not supply immoderate details of their ain astir what the evaluators recovered during the hearing. District Attorney Michael Dougherty, who said helium is constricted to commenting connected what has been made nationalist astir the evaluation, declined to remark connected Dunn's statement of the evaluation's findings.

“I look guardant to the trial, and these are issues that are going to beryllium litigated afloat astatine trial,” Dougherty said aft the hearing.

Alissa has pleaded not blameworthy by crushed of insanity successful the March 22, 2021, shooting astatine a King Soopers store successful the assemblage municipality of Boulder. The plea means his lawyers are claiming helium did not recognize the quality betwixt close from incorrect astatine the clip of the shooting and therefor should not beryllium convicted of a crime.

Investigators accidental helium researched however to transportation retired a wide shooting earlier helium launched his ain onslaught and targeted moving people, sidesplitting astir of the 10 victims successful conscionable implicit a infinitesimal utilizing a weapon with a high-capacity magazine.

Alissa's intelligence wellness was raised arsenic an contented by his lawyers close aft the shooting, and the contented of whether helium was mentally competent to basal proceedings — capable to recognize tribunal proceedings and assistance his lawyers successful his defence — enactment proceedings connected clasp for astir 2 years. After Alissa was forcibly medicated and past deemed mentally competent to proceed, helium entered the not blameworthy by crushed of insanity plea successful November.

On Tuesday, Judge Ingrid Bakke granted the defense's petition for Alissa's sanity astatine the clip of the shooting to beryllium evaluated a 2nd clip by their ain expert, but she rejected their connection to hold the proceedings until March 2025 to springiness them clip for that process. Instead, she delayed the proceedings by lone astir a month, scheduling it to commencement Sept. 2, aft proceeding beardown objections from relatives of the victims and successful letters submitted to the court.

As Alissa sat adjacent with his lawyers, Erika Mahoney, whose begetter Kevin Mahoney was killed successful the shooting, urged Bakke to let the families to participate the autumn with the proceedings down them truthful they could spell connected to observe Christmas and Hanukkah with that section closed.

During a prolonged treatment among the lawyers and Bakke, Erika Mahoney was not feeling hopeful, but she was relieved erstwhile the justice lone delayed the proceedings by a month.

“It's comic the things you that go grateful for," she said aft the hearing, “but I americium grateful to cognize that this is moving forward.”