Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa will appear in court for the first time since being arrested for his involvement in a mass shooting earlier this week. At approximately 8:15 a.m., the 21-year-old will appear before Judge Thomas Mulvahill. During the hearing, he will formally hear the charges levied against him and enter his plea.
Alissa is accused of opening fire at a grocery store near the University of Colorado earlier this week. The shooting resulted in ten deaths and several injuries. As a result, Alissa will likely face 10 counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, he would face a mandatory life sentence. Death is off the table as the state of Colorado removed capital punishment from the books last year.
In the days since the shooting, President Joe Biden has called on Congress to enact stricter gun laws. Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama also joined in on the call for stricter gun laws.
“I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common-sense steps that will save lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act,” he said at the White House.
“We can ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in this country once again. I got that done when I was a senator. We should do it again.”
