Perpetrator in 2021 Colorado Mass Shooting Sentenced to Life Without Parole

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Facts

  • Ahmad Alissa, the gunman convicted of the March 2021 mass shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, was on Monday convicted of 10 counts of first-degree murder.[1]
  • Alissa's victims included a policeman who was called out to the shooting. Witnesses described him as methodical and brutal, firing at some from point-blank range while shouting: 'This is fun.'[2]
  • Twenty-one at the time of the shooting, Syrian-born Alissa had pled not guilty by reason of insanity, as he had reportedly been diagnosed with schizophrenia.[3]
  • While Alissa reportedly told psychologists about hearing “killing voices” before the shooting, he couldn't provide details during interviews that lasted around six hours.[4]
  • On Monday, Judge Ingrid Bakke sentenced Alissa to life in prison without the possibility of parole, which is mandatory under Colorado law.[2]
  • Besides conviction on first-degree murder charges, he was also found guilty on 38 charges of attempted murder, one of assault, and six of illegally possessing large-capacity magazines.[1]

Sources: [1]ABC News, [2]Reuters, [3]WION and [4]Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by WION. While there is no question that Alissa committed these horrible violent crimes, he is also a diagnosed schizophrenic with a history of mental illness. He reported hearing 'killing voices' before the shooting, and his family members reported that he was paranoid and withdrawn in the months before he perpetrated this tragedy. In this context, he should not have been found guilty.
  • Narrative B, as provided by ABC News. Mental illness alone is not enough to avoid legal culpability. While there is no question that Alissa is profoundly mentally unwell, he was competent enough before and during the shooting to purchase steel piercing bullets and high capacity magazines, before methodically seeking out and killing victims during his rampage. He was well aware that his actions were wrong, and he needs to be held accountable. This sentencing is a necessary step towards justice for the victims and their families.

Predictions