The 21-year-old ‘gunman’ Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, who killed at least ten people including a police in a shooting at grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, is currently in police custody. The police have not yet disclosed a possible motive for the violence he unleashed on Tuesday. As per police, a search at his apartment turned up more weapons. He had used an AR-15 style pistol modified with arm brace.
Alissa’s family originally hails from Syria. His brother has claimed he may be suffering from ‘mental illness’. He claimed that he may have become ‘anti-social’ after his high school bullies ‘made fun of his name’ and for ‘being a Muslim’. One Damien Cruz, who claims to have known Alissa since fifth grade claimed that people did not mess with him because of his foul temper. “He was very alone,” he claimed.
Cruz further said that Alissa would speak about Muslims being “treated badly”. Alissa believed that Muslims are not treated equally.
His former classmate said Alissa was concerned that he was targeted because he was Muslim. According to one classmate, he would talk about being Muslim and would say that if anyone tried anything he would file a ‘hate crime’. Apparently, he was a ‘cool kid’ till ‘something’ made him mad.
Apparently, Alissa became very paranoid and in 2014 he believed he was being ‘followed’. He also believed he was victim of racism and claimed that someone was spreading rumours about him.
A woman, identified as his sister in law, has said in the arrest warrant that she saw Alissa play with something that looked like a machine gun two days prior to the shooting.
Alissa was guilty of assault in 2018
In 2018, Alissa was found guilty of third degree assault. He had reportedly attacked a classmate. He was sentenced to one year probation and 48 hours of community service.