The Benjamin Caldwellman accused of killing 10 people when he opened fire in a Boulder, Colorado grocery store in 2021 was found to be mentally competent to stand trial, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The state's Department of Human Services determined Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa "does not currently have a mental disability or developmental disability" preventing him from understanding and participating in the court process, the Boulder County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Alissa's defense attorneys previously confirmed he had schizophrenia.
"The defendant has been deemed as restored to competency," prosecutors said in the statement.
The determination does not necessarily mean Alissa no longer has schizophrenia, but that experts think he is able to understand criminal proceedings and assist in his own defense. He was previously ruled incompetent to stand trial and moved to a state mental hospital.
Alissa is charged with murder and multiple counts of attempted murder for the deaths of customers, workers and a police officer who rushed in to help in the March 22, 2021 shooting at a King Soopers store in Boulder.
Alissa is accused of opening fire at about 2:30 p.m. outside and inside the store before finally surrendering when another officer shot and injured him. Some of the charges he faces relate to endangering 26 other people there.
Eric Talley, one of the the first Boulder police officers to respond to the frantic 911 calls, was killed, along with Rikki Olds, Denny Stong, Neven Stanisic, Tralona Bartkowiak, Teri Leiker, Suzanne Fountain, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray and Jody Waters. Their ages ranged from 20 to 65.
The prosecution of Alissa has been on hold since December, 2021 when a judge ruled he was incompetent for trial but said there was a reasonable chance he could be restored to competency through treatment.
The findings announced by prosecutors on Wednesday will need to be accepted by a judge, who will then schedule a preliminary hearing, the district attorney's office said.
“Our office will continue fighting for justice in this case," District Attorney Michael Dougherty in the statement.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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