Lawyer: Colo. shooting suspect needs mental health review

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The suspect in the Colorado supermarket shooting appeared in court for the first time Thursday, and a defense attorney immediately asked that he receive a mental health evaluation before the case proceeds.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, did not speak during the brief hearing except to say “yes”î to a question from the judge, who advised him that he is charged with murder in the attack that killed 10 people, including a Boulder police officer.

Alissa did not enter a plea, which will come later in the judicial process. He has been jailed without bail.

The young man entered court in a wheelchair, presumably because of a gunshot wound to the leg that he suffered Monday in a gunbattle with police. He appeared alert and attentive, moving his knees from side to side, his eyes darting back and forth from his lawyers to the judge.

His attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, provided no details about his health. At Herold’s request, Alissa’s next hearing will not be scheduled for two to three months to allow the defense to evaluate his mental state and evidence collected by investigators.

About 2,000 people gathered for a vigil Thursday night in the parking lot of a high school less than a mile from the scene of the shooting. Many held candles and roses while locking arms or embracing.

Screenshots of what was believed to be Alissa’s Facebook page hint of fears that he was secretly being tracked on his phone and reflect his interest in Islamic teachings, immigration and martial arts.

In 2019, Alissa wrote that his phone was being hacked by “racist islamophobic people.”î