A man who killed 10 people in a 2021 mass shooting at a Colorado supermarket claimed he heard “killing voices” before the attack, according to testimony from a forensic psychologist during his trial. The shooter, diagnosed with schizophrenia, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but experts testified that he was legally sane at the time of the massacre.
Psychologist Testifies About Gunman’s Mental State
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, who opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, told psychologists that he began hearing voices urging him to kill just before the attack. Forensic psychologist B. Thomas Gray testified in court on Friday that during multiple interviews, Alissa described hearing the “killing voices” but provided no further detail about what they were saying or why he acted on them.
“I started hearing voices, like killing, like killing voices,” Alissa said during a recorded interview, a portion of which was shown in court. Throughout the six-hour interview, Alissa was seen fidgeting and speaking softly, making parts of the conversation difficult to hear.
Legal Sanity at the Time of the Shooting
Despite Alissa’s claims of hearing voices, Gray and his colleague, forensic psychologist Loandra Torres, concluded that Alissa was legally sane at the time of the shooting. They testified that he was capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong, which is the legal standard for sanity.
Alissa’s defense team argues that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity, asserting that his severe schizophrenia rendered him incapable of understanding his actions.
Defense Challenges Psychologists’ Conclusions
Kathryn Herold, one of Alissa’s attorneys, challenged the psychologists’ conclusions, noting that Alissa’s inability to describe his hallucinations further could have impacted their findings. Herold pointed out that Alissa’s schizophrenia is treatment-resistant, and it was unreasonable to expect him to explain his psychotic episodes in detail.
Herold also highlighted Alissa’s statement that he had planned to die during the attack to avoid imprisonment. However, Alissa ultimately surrendered to police at the scene, stripping down to his underwear to demonstrate he was unarmed and no longer a threat.
Facing Multiple Charges
Alissa faces 10 counts of first-degree murder, multiple charges of attempted murder, and other offenses, including possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines that are banned in Colorado following previous mass shootings.
The trial will determine whether Alissa’s mental illness absolves him of legal responsibility for the tragic attack.
