King Soopers Shooter Sentenced to Life in Prison
The man charged with carrying out a mass shooting at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colo., in March 2021 was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing a police officer, store employees and shoppers – a total of 10 people.
As reported by The New York Times, the Sept. 23 verdict followed about two weeks of testimony that focused on the mindset of the gunman at the time of the shooting. Alissa, now 25, was diagnosed with schizophrenia after the attack, but competent to stand trial.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said before the sentencing: “This was not about mental illness. This was about brutal, intentional violence, for which he deserves the maximum [sentence].”
On March 22, 2021, Alissa stormed the King Soopers supermarket, armed with a legally purchased Ruger AR-556 pistol, which resembles an AR-15-style rifle. Alissa killed two victims in the store's parking lot before shooting eight others to death inside the supermarket. The shooting spree ended when a police officer shot Alissa in the leg, leading the gunman to surrender.
After the tragedy, the King Soopers store, a Kroger-owned banner, closed for 11 months. The location reopened in 2022 after a full remodel and celebrations honoring the victims. Progressive Grocer Editor-in-Chief Gina Acosta visited the redesigned supermarket last year.
