Judge rules Boulder King Soopers mass shooting suspect is competent to stand trial

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - According to court documents released Oct. 6, the suspect in the Boulder King Soopers mass shooting has been found competent to stand trial.

The suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is accused of killing ten people, including a Boulder Police Officer, in March 2021. The trial has been delayed after a judge first ruled he was mentally incompetent and sent him to the state hospital for treatment.

In August, a court filing indicated that the experts at the state mental hospital said in a recent report the suspect was competent because he is consistently taking medication.

Friday, District Court Judge Ingrid S. Bakke found the suspect had been restored to competency, and the court proceedings in the criminal case will resume. However, according to court documents, the suspect claimed he would stop taking his medication if he returned to jail after being found competent.

Due to this, the court order states it "strongly urges" the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo to retain him. It goes on to say the suspect "may not be restorable if he bounces back and forth between the CMHIP and the jail" and that would result in an "injustice to everyone who has been impacted by the case."

A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 14, 2023, at 9 a.m.