Boulder gunman asked police for his mother at shooting scene

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, suspect in the shooting, faces 10 counts of first-degree murder

The gunman suspected of killing 10 people at a Boulder grocery store on Monday took off most of his clothes and asked to speak to his mother when he was arrested, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. 

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, has been accused of opening fire at a King Soopers supermarket on Monday and killing 10 people, including officer Eric Talley. He was shot in the leg and taken into custody.

He faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and an attempted murder charge, police said.

When he was taken into custody, Mr Alissa had “removed all of his clothing and was dressed only in shorts,” according to the affidavit. The police asked him if there were any other suspects, but he “did not answer questions, though he asked to speak to his mother,” the document said. 

A video emerged on Monday of police removing a shirtless man with a blood covered leg from the scene. However, authorities declined to link that video to Mr Alissa, according to NBC News. 

Read more:

• Boulder shooting live: Latest updates as Biden calls for gun control action
• Everything we know so far about the Colorado supermarket attack
• Boulder gunman, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, described as ‘anti-social’ by brother
• Mugshot of Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa released as high school classmates reveal paranoid, violent outbursts
• Ted Cruz and other GOP senators mount fiery defence of gun ownership
• Vaccine passports: Everything Americans need to know

Mr Alissa, who lived in Arvada, was released from a hospital where he was treated for the leg injury on Tuesday. He was transferred to a county jail to wait for a court appearance. 

In the affidavit, the police said there was no evidence of drug or alcohol use. Mr Alissa also told paramedics he wasn’t using any medications, it said. 

The motive in the shooting is not yet known. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said that investigators have not established a motive, but they believe Mr Alissa was the only shooter. 

The warrant said Mr Alissa was armed with either an assault rifle or “black AR-15” and wearing a “tactical” or “armored” vest, according to CNN. 

Citing a law enforcement database, the affidavit said that he had purchased a Ruger AR-556 pistol on 16 March, just days before the Monday shooting. 

His sister-in-law told investigators Mr Alissa “was seen playing with a gun she thought looked like a ‘machine gun’” two days before the attack. 

He also faced a court summons in 2018 for third-degree assault after punching a classmate in the face multiple times in November 2017, Reuters reported, citing an incident report released by the Arvada Police Department.