Police have identified a 21-year-old man, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa as the gunman who shot and killed 10 people at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado on Monday.
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Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon at the supermarket killing people ranging from 20 to 65 years of age, including a Boulder police officer.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold made this known at a news conference on Tuesday morning, March 23, saying the suspect has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder.
The 21-year-old stormed the supermarket at about 2:30 local time began firing at shoppers. He also got involved in a gunfight with police and fired multiple rounds at them through at least 3:21 p.m. local time.
The suspected gunman was shot in the leg during a gunbattle with police responding to the shooting, Chief Herold said. He is currently hospitalized and officials said they expect him to be booked into the Boulder jail later Tuesday.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said investigators hadn’t identified a motive in the attack.
Alissa, who was shot in the leg, was in stable condition at an area hospital and was expected to be released later on Tuesday, officials said.
The victim include Denny Strong, 20, Nevin Stanisic, 23, Rikki Olds, 25, Tralona Bartkowiak, 49, Suzanne Fountain, 59, Teri Leiker, 51, Officer Eric Talley, 51, Kevin Mahoney, 61, Lynn Murray, 62, Jody Waters, 65).
Boulder police officer, Eric Talley, was among the 10 victims killed in the shooting.
In his remark. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Talley, who was the first officer on the scene, “died heroically.”
He said;
He died charging into the line of fire to save people who were simply trying to live their lives and go food shopping. And the man who gunned them down will be held fully responsible.
I want to say to the community, I am so sorry this incident happened and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure this suspect has a thorough trial and we do a thorough investigation.
Meanwhile, Alissa was born in Syria, according to this Facebook page and a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen, the law enforcement official said.
Outside of a large-two story home in Arvada where Alissa is believed to have lived, neighbors said they saw heavily-armed law enforcement officers, including Federal Bureau of Investigation, questioning residents of the home Monday night and going inside the house.
Colorado residents have become familiar with mass shootings, as two of this generation’s most notorious massacres took place within a short drive from Boulder.
Thirteen people were killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, just 35 miles south of King Soopers, on April 20, 1999, before the two gunmen took their own lives.
Then on July 20, 2012, a gunman opened fire on moviegoers at Century 16 Theater in Aurora, 35 miles southeast of the supermarket. Twelve people, who had gathered for a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises,” were killed.
