Jury selection has begun in the trial of Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, who is charged with murdering 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in 2021. Alissa pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity after being ruled mentally unfit for trial. The defense must prove that Alissa was so mentally ill at the time of the shooting that he could not distinguish between right and wrong.
Alissa stormed a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, armed with a pistol and killed two people in the parking lot before shooting eight others inside the store, including a police officer. He was apprehended after being shot in the leg by a police officer. Alissa faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and other charges related to the rampage.
The trial was delayed after Alissa was diagnosed with schizophrenia in late 2021, leading to a period when he was deemed incompetent to stand trial. However, the judge later ruled him restored to competency, allowing the trial to proceed.
During a plea hearing, grim details emerged of the killings, including Alissa pursuing a victim as he tried to crawl away and shooting him multiple times, as well as shooting a woman multiple times as she lay curled in a fetal position. The exact motive for the shooting spree remains unclear.
Jury selection is ongoing, with opening statements expected to begin soon. The outcome of the trial will determine whether Alissa is held legally responsible for the killings.
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