King Soopers shooter claimed voices screamed at him before store massacre

BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — Video of the man accused of the King Soopers mass shooting was played in court Friday at the Boulder County Justice Center.

Ahmad Alissa was seen talking to forensic psychologists trying to determine his mental state on the day of the shooting. At one point, Alissa said he planned to die the day he killed 10 people at that grocery store in Boulder.

Alissa could be seen in that video answering some of the questions. He was also seen fidgeting and looking at the ceiling.

A jury is trying to decide if Alissa was sane on the day of the shooting. The steps Ahmad Alissa took in the months, weeks and days before the shooting were detailed in testimony by witnesses.

Investigator Sarah Cantu said Alissa had made a number of purchases online to prepare for the shooting. He also spent time researching weapons with various searches by typing in questions like “what is the most deadly type of round bullet and where to buy ammo,” Cantu said.

Jury to decide whether mass shooter was sane

A forensic psychologist who interviewed Alissa, trying to determine his mental state, also testified. Dr. B. Thomas Gray said Alissa had been hearing voices in his head for some time before the shooting.

“He said it (the voice) was indistinct and that they were just screaming or yelling, and he couldn’t discern specific words,” Gray said.

A key question in this trial is not whether Alissa carried out the shooting, but instead whether he knew right from wrong that day.

Several clips of an interview were played in court Friday of Alissa being questioned as to whether he knew what he was doing that day

“He readily conceded that he knew this behavior was illegal,” Gray said.

Alissa rarely looked at his interview as the video played in the courtroom. In the interview, he was wearing a purple sweatshirt and fidgeted most of the time, and he looked up at the ceiling.

He answered some of the questions and told the interviewers he knew the shooting could cost his life.

At one point Friday afternoon, one of the jurors leaned forward in his chair to see the interview.

The forensic psychologist said there was no evidence the voices in Alissa’s head played a role in the shooting. Alissa’s defense attorney said at one point he did not know why he was being held in the state hospital and that the voices in his head played a role in the massacre.

This trial resumes Monday morning.

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