March 26 (UPI) — A Colorado prosecutor said Friday that police faced a significant amount of gunfire when they responded to the mass shooting at a Boulder supermarket.
One officer, the first to arrive on the scene at the King Soopers store, was among the 10 who were killed. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, will face additional charges of attempted murder due to barrage of gunfire.
Police “charged into the store and immediately faced a very significant amount of gunfire from the shooter,” Dougherty told reporters during a news conference.
Alissa passed a background check conducted by Eagles Nest Armory in Arvada, Colo., when he bought the Ruger AR-556 pistol on March 16, six days before Monday’s shooting.
“We are absolutely shocked by what happened and our hearts are broken for the victims and families that are left behind,” the shop’s owner, John “Mark” Eagleton, told The Denver Post. “Ensuring every sale that occurs at our shop is lawful has always and will always remain the highest priority for our business.”
Investigators have not released a motive for the shooting.
Alissa was moved Thursday night to a correctional facility outside the county, due to safety concerns and threats, the Post reported.
He is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. He’s being held without bond.
On Thursday, Judge Thomas Mulvahill granted a request by defense attorneys for a two- to three-month delay until the next status hearing so Alissa’s mental health can be assessed.
