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King Soopers Shooting Trial
The 24-year-old man accused of murdering ten people at a Boulder King Soopers pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity during the preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was ruled mentally competent to stand trial in October. He is being charged with ten counts of first degree murder, multiple counts of attempted murder and numerous other felonies for the 2021 mass shooting.
Boulder police detective Sarah Cantu testified during the hearing, saying every kill was motivated. According to Cantu, Alissa shot 22 people, killing 8 of them, in 69 seconds. Most of the victims were shot repeatedly.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty also testified, saying Alissa seemed to have prepared for the mass shooting for a long period of time. He kept notes on an iPad that held shooting and running tips.
Alissa pleaded not guilty for reason of insanity, which is a defense individuals use to claim they were mentally ill at the time of the shooting and didn’t have the capacity to reason right from wrong. Alissa will now undergo a mental evaluation to determine the validity of his plea.
Alissa’s bond was set at $100 million.
Controversial Remarks During Wheat Ridge City Council Meeting
During Monday night’s Wheat Ridge city council meeting, virtual speakers used the public comment portion to make antisemitic remarks and threats toward Jewish people.
The virtual speakers phoned in under the fake names Andy Zemite, Judy Stroyer and Sieg Heil. Several of them referenced an antisemitic group’s website, and 9News reports they also made calls to put people in concentration camps.
The speakers were given the usual three minutes each to speak until the council took a recess and voted to shorten the public comment period to one minute each.
9News also says the remarks appear to be in line with an organized white supremacist effort happening across the country.
“While we as a city value the right to free speech, the remarks were disturbing, shocking and unacceptable. This type of hate is not welcome in our city,” the City of Wheat Ridge said.
Colorado Teacher Fired After Showing Mass Shooting Footage To Students
A charter school in Parker, Colorado, fired a teacher yesterday, after showing videos of mass shootings to students as punishment for speaking during a lockdown drill.
The teacher, who remains unidentified to the public, taught second grade at Parker Core Knowledge. She showed news clips of the mass school shootings that occurred in Uvalde, Texas and Nashville to students.
The incident occurred this past Monday, and school administration learned of the incident about an hour after it occurred. According to 9News, the teacher was placed on leave immediately. She was fired Tuesday.
Parker Core Knowledge is offering mental health resources to students who may need extra help.
Colorado Hiker Found Dead, Dog By His Side
The Archuleta Sheriff’s Department announced late Monday that a 71-year-old man from Colorado, was found dead roughly two-and-a-half months after being declared missing.
Rich Moore was hiking along Colorado’s San Juan Mountains with his dog Finney in mid-August and failed to return home. He was declared missing on Aug. 19 and spotted by a man hunting in the same area on Oct. 30, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Taos Search and Rescue found Moore dead, but his 14-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Finney, remained alive by his side.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Moore’s cause of death was hypothermia.
Finney was reunited with the family.
Rocky Mountain National Park Pilot Time Reservation System
Rocky Mountain National Park announced the implementation of an enhanced reservation system starting in May 2024.
According to a press release from the park, the reservation system will be put in place to protect resources and ease the congestion of visitors, particularly during peak season.
Visitors to the park will reserve a two hour window for arrival, but once they’re in the park they can stay as long as they please.
The first round of reservations begins on May 1st, for time slots at the end of May through all of July. After that, reservations will open a month at a time, with slots for July opening in June, for August opening in July, and so on.
Two different permits will be available, one being the Bear Lake Road Corridor reservation, which includes the entire corridor and access to the rest of the park. It includes time slots between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The second permit grants access to the entire park, excluding the Bear Lake Road Corridor. It includes time slots between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
