Police and Colorado residents are still trying to make sense of a recent shooting in a King Soopers grocery store.
“We sit here once again surrounded by a seemingly incomprehensible, senseless loss,” said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
According to police, on March 22, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, opened fire at a Boulder supermarket with an AR 556-style pistol and killed 10 people. The victims’ ages ranged from 20 to 65 years old.
The gunman’s brother, Ali Aliwi Alissa, reported that Alissa has suffered from mental illness and paranoia since 2014 and was considered “anti-social,”
“He always suspected someone was behind him, someone was chasing him,” said Alissa’s brother when discussing Alissa’s mental state to CNN immediately following the shooting.
Alissa is charged with 10 counts of murder in the first degree. One of the victims was police officer Eric Talley.
“My heart goes out to the victims of this incident,” said Meris Herold, the Boulder police chief. “And I am so sorry about the loss of officer Talley.”
The shooter was formerly known by authorities due to his third-degree assault charge back in 2018 in which Alissa was found guilty, according to the Colorado’s Bureau of Investigation’s database. It was reported that 18-year-old Alissa attacked a classmate at Arvada West High School, leaving the victim severely injured.
The Colorado shooting took place merely one week after the March 16 massacres at three Atlanta spas that claimed nine lives.
Most of the Atlanta spa victims were Asian-American, which sparked recent movements condemning Asian-American-targeted violence and hate crimes.
These recent massacres have also blatantly reminded America of the ongoing controversy regarding gun control.
President Joe Biden, while delivering two speeches this past week, made a statement on banning assault rifles and furthering background checks for individuals desiring a weapon:
“I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour … to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act,” said Biden while addressing the Congress’s earlier attempted ban on assault weapons.
