Ahmad Alissa: Boulder shooting suspect moved from jail after receiving ‘threats to his safety’
BOULDER, COLORADO: After Monday's March 22, shootout massacre at the Kings Soopers store in Boulder, the suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was processed into custody formally from the local hospital where he was being treated for his wounds. Now the Boulder mass shooting suspect has been moved from jail after allegedly receiving "threats to his safety."
The 21-year-old was charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder after he went on a shooting rampage at a King Soopers supermarket with a semi-automatic rifle on Monday, March 22. He remains in the custody of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office following the massacre, which took place in broad daylight. However, he is now been moved to a correctional facility outside of the county after jail officials learned of threats to his safety, KKTV reported.
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Alissa was shifted from the jail after his first appearance in court on March 25 morning, where he appeared in person before District Judge Thomas Francis Mulvahill at 8.15 am local time. During the hearing, Alissa's lawyers asked the judge to delay the next hearing for three months, insisting "we cannot do anything until we are able to fully assess Mr. Alissa's mental illness." One of his attorneys reportedly said, "We cannot begin to assess the nature and depth of Mr. Alissa's mental illness until we have the discovery from the government."
The request was granted by Judge Mulvahill, who also ruled that Alissa will be held without bail and ordered recess barely six minutes into the hearing. Meanwhile, the prosecution said it will be filing additional charges "in the coming weeks" and that the Boulder crime scene will be processed in a "couple of days." While Mulvahill did not specify how long the hearings would be delayed for the evaluation, he gave the defense two weeks to respond to a motion, The Sun reported.
Alissa, who spoke only to confirm that he understood the charges, was seen in a wheelchair, wearing a face mask and a blue paper gown. He was wheeled out of the courtroom by a police officer at the end of the hearing, which lasted for five and a half minutes.
Investigators said earlier this week that Alissa had suffered a leg injury during the March 22 massacre and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The suspect was spotted limping away from the crime scene with one of his legs drenched in blood as he was escorted by authorities.
Michael Dougherty, District Attorney for Boulder County, told reporters outside of court that it was "too early to say" if he anticipated a defense of insanity, adding "we’ll have to see how things unfold in court." He was also asked whether Alissa's mental health will affect the proceedings. "There is a process that is used when that is the issue and we will see if that is what happens in this case," Dougherty responded, adding that he expects the case will be a "lengthy process that will take at least a year to reach its conclusion."
According to an affidavit released on Tuesday, March 23, the alleged shooter had purchased an assault rifle almost a week before opening fire inside the crowded Colorado supermarket. The gunman was shooting victims one-by-one with a rifle in the disturbing attack, per witnesses. Alissa was later seen on video being escorted in handcuffs from the scene, wearing nothing but boxer shorts and covered in blood.
The ten victims who lost their lives tragedy were Denny Strong, 20, Neven Stoanisic, 23, Rikki Olds, 25, Tralona Bartkowiak, 49, Suzanne Fountain, 59, Teri Leiker, 51, Officer Eric Talley, 51, Kevin Mahoney, 61, Lynn Murray, 62, and Jody Waters, 65.