Judge: Colorado supermarket shooting suspect incompetent to stand trial

A choose dominated Friday {that a} man charged with killing 10 individuals at a Colorado grocery store final yr continues to be mentally incompetent to face trial, additional delaying courtroom proceedings within the case.

However the choose additionally stated that evaluation might change quickly.

Specialists on the Colorado Psychological Well being Institute at Pueblo have stated there’s a substantial likelihood that Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 22, might be restored to competency throughout the “cheap future” and stay competent by taking drugs, Decide Ingrid Bakke stated throughout a quick listening to. It’s a prognosis she first talked about in a March 11 scheduling order.

The prosecution of Alyssa has been on maintain since December, when Bakke first dominated that he was mentally incompetent — unable to grasp authorized proceedings and work along with his attorneys to defend himself.

Alissa is being handled on the state psychological hospital and was not in courtroom for Friday’s listening to. The choose set a July 21 listening to to once more consider Alissa’s competency to face trial.

Bakke’s ruling got here almost a month after Boulder, the house of the College of Colorado, marked the primary anniversary of the assault that killed employees, prospects and a police officer who rushed inside the shop.

Few particulars have been launched about Alissa’s situation. Stories on his evaluations are usually not obtainable to the general public, however a courtroom submitting discussing one of many evaluations final yr stated he had been provisionally identified with an unspecified psychological well being situation that limits his potential to “meaningfully converse with others.”

Competency is a distinct authorized concern than a plea of not responsible by motive of madness, which includes whether or not somebody’s psychological well being prevented them from understanding proper from mistaken on the time against the law was dedicated.

After the listening to, District Lawyer Michael Dougherty stated the common time to revive somebody to competency is six months. He declined to take a position on when Alissa, who as been on the state hospital for 4 months, could also be thought-about competent.

Robert Olds, the uncle of one of many 10 individuals killed, front-end supervisor Rikki Olds, stated Alissa has extra rights than the victims. He stays pretty hopeful Alissa will go on trial however doesn’t need to anticipate what’s going to occur subsequent as a result of the authorized course of has been transferring slowly.

“Ultimately it should occur, I hope,” he stated of a trial. “There’s all the time that outdoors probability it gained’t occur.”

Investigators haven’t launched any details about why they consider Alissa launched the assault or why he might have focused the grocery store. He lived within the close by suburb of Arvada, the place authorities say he handed a background test to legally purchase the Ruger AR-556 pistol he allegedly used six days earlier than the taking pictures.

The March 22, 2021, assault at a King Soopers grocery shocked a state that has seen its share of mass shootings, together with the 1999 Columbine Excessive Faculty bloodbath and the 2012 Aurora movie show taking pictures.

Boulder police Officer Eric Talley, a 51-year-old father of seven, was shot and killed whereas dashing into the shop with an preliminary group of cops. Along with Rikki Olds, Denny Stong, Neven Stanisic, Tralona Bartkowiak, Teri Leiker, Suzanne Fountain, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray and Jody Waters had been killed inside and outdoors the grocery store.

The transformed King Soopers reopened in February, with about half of those that labored there on the time of the taking pictures selecting to return.