Additional charges are expected to be brought against the suspect in the mass shooting at a grocery store in Boulder this week, including attempted first-degree murder, Colorado officials announced on Friday.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty spoke about the steps taken by the Boulder Police Department to update the next steps in the investigation and the trial of Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, accused of killing 10 people on the King Scoopers and injuring others.
“It will be a lengthy court case,” Dougherty told reporters. “In each homicide case, the case takes at least a year to complete. I predict it will be the same in this case.”
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, appears before Boulder District Court judge Thomas Mulvahill at the Boulder County Justice Center in Boulder, Colorado, on March 25, 2021. Three days after he was taken handcuffed by a Boulder supermarket where 10 people were shot dead, Alissa appeared in court for the first time and her defense attorney asked for a mental health assessment “to address her mental illness”. (Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post via AP, Pool)
Dougherty and Boulder’s chief of police, Maris Herold, praised the cooperation and support between agencies in the investigation, which Herold called “complex” due to the scale of the crime scene.
“It is exciting to see how the community supports this police department and the other victims involved in this incredible incident,” said Herold. “For that, I want the community to know that I am very grateful.”
Alissa, 21, faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder after being arrested on Monday.
Dougherty revealed on Friday that more charges will be brought against Alissa. No timetable was provided at the news conference, but the prosecutor said the next court date would be announced next week.
No motive was identified in the massacre, and the FBI is currently conducting a “deep dive” into the suspect’s background, Dougherty said.
SUSPECTED BOULDER SHOOTING AHMAD AL ALIWI ALISSA: WHAT WE KNOW
Alissa is being held without bail and was transferred from Boulder County Jail to a correctional facility outside the county after prison officials learned of security concerns and threats.
Alissa appeared during a brief hearing on Thursday, answering only “yes” when asked if he understood his rights.
Alissa’s defense lawyers requested evidence and a list of witnesses from prosecutors before asking the judge for a delay so they could assess her client’s “mental illness”.
Alissa did not file a challenge during the hearing.
BOULDER GROCERY MASSACRE DESCRIBED BY WITNESSES AS CHAOS: HE HAS JUST ‘STARTED SHOOTING’
Police responded to a call around 2:40 pm local time on Monday to report an active sniper. The suspect was described as carrying an AR-15-style black gun and jeans.
Police have already confirmed that Alissa used a Ruger AR-556 in the shooting. He also had a 9 mm pistol with him, which the police believe he did not use.
Several people described how the suspect shot people inside and outside the store.
Ten people were killed. The victims were aged between 20 and 65 and included a veteran police officer, a store manager and a former director of photography for several magazines.
BOULDER PHOTOGRAPHING SUSPECTED YELLED TO THE POLICE, ‘I SURRENDER, I’M NUDE’, WITNESS SAYS
Eric Talley, of the Boulder Police Department, was the first officer to respond to the shooting; he was killed. The father of seven children was hailed as a hero after 10 years of service in the department.
Other victims are Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62, and Jody Waters, 65.
Prosecutors said they were awaiting evidence from the police, who were still processing the crime scene at the King Scoopers grocery store on Thursday.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said the suspect lived “most of his life in the United States”.
A Facebook page allegedly owned by Alissa included messages criticizing former President Donald Trump’s response to immigration and refugees, along with personal complaints about not having a girlfriend.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
A former colleague described Alissa as “scary to be around”, while another described him as paranoid.
The police said Alissa did not answer questions from the police when they first arrested him, but he asked to speak to his mother.
Stephanie Pagones, Louis Casiano and Edmund DeMarche of Fox News contributed to this report.