(NationRise.com) – On October 6, Judge Ingrid Bakke ruled that the man whom authorities accused of murdering ten people in 2021 at a Colorado supermarket will formally stand trial. This decision comes after health experts determined he is mentally competent. This decision allows the stalled prosecution to continue.
Bakke found that the shooter, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, who suffers from schizophrenia, can perfectly understand court proceedings and contribute to his legal defense. The judge presided over a hearing last week to study a determination made by health experts at a Colorado mental hospital back in August, which concluded that Alissa was competent enough to stand trial. His lawyer asked for the hearing to debate the results after a previous evaluation determined he wasn’t competent.
In the ruling, the judge said that after forced medication, she was convinced that the shooter had an “improved capacity” to fully “elucidate” not only his decision-making but also his reasoning. She also said that’s one of the main components of competency, which hinges on the shooter being able to make rational decisions in his case, such as testifying himself.
The 24-year-old man is charged with murder and numerous attempted murder counts in relation to the shooting spree he committed in a Boulder King Soopers Store in March 2021. According to different reports, employees told detectives that the man started to shoot outside the store, hitting at least one person in the parking lot before entering the store.
Customers and employees managed to escape the shooting, with some of them sheltering in other stores. A SWAT team immediately arrived at the scene, with Alissa surrendering without opposing resistance. Different media outlets have pointed out investigators haven’t determined the motive behind this shooting.
A psychologist who testified for the prosecution told Bakke that his mental condition improved after receiving medication to treat his schizophrenia. The judge noted that in the latest evaluation, Alissa answered many questions about the charges brought against him and the day of the shooting.
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