Motion granted to appoint alternative defense council for purposes of appeal in King Soopers shooting

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the stage that Alissa’s case is currently in.

DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado court administrator told FOX31 on Thursday that a motion has been granted for alternative defense counsel to be appointed for the purposes of an appeal in the King Soopers shooting case, although the motion is not reflected in the online records.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was convicted Monday by a Boulder jury on 10 murder charges and 38 attempted murder charges. His defense did not deny that he was the gunman who killed 10 people at the King Soopers on Table Mesa Drive in Boulder on March 22, 2021 .

Instead, his lawyers argued for years that Alissa was not sane at the time of the shooting, leading to the 25-year-old pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Following the shooting, state mental health employees diagnosed him with schizophrenia, and told the court he was sane during the shooting.

However, prosecutors argued during the trial that Alissa planned the shooting months in advance, pointing out during the trial that he had used steel-piercing bullets and an optic sight to help him kill during the attack.

Because of this, jurors deliberated on whether Alissa should be convicted or found not guilty by reason of insanity, ultimately convicting him of the 10 counts of first-degree murder , 38 counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of assault in the first degree and six counts of possessing a large capacity magazine.

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