Colorado shooting suspect charged with 10 counts of murder posted homophobic messages on Facebook
Suspect Ahmad Alissa “frequently” posted anti-LGBT+ content on social media in the years before the mass shooting.(Boulder Police)
Colorado shooting suspect Ahmad Alissa posted anti-LGBT+ content on social media, experts have discovered while searching for a motive.
Ahmad Alissa, 21, was arrested on Monday (22 March) for the mass shooting at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.
Police were called to the store in the early afternoon after Alissa allegedly walked into the store without saying a word and opened fire, killing ten people including a police officer. He was shot through the leg in an exchange of gunfire before removing his body armour and shirt and surrendering to the SWAT team.
Alissa, who reportedly lives with severe mental health problems, has been charged with 10 counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted first degree murder, and remains in custody at Boulder County Jail.
SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors online extremism, told the Washington Post that although no motive has been determined for the crime, in the years leading up to the Colorado mass shooting the suspect posted anti-LGBT+ content on his Facebook page.
Rita Katz, executive director of SITE, said that Alissa “frequently discussed PlayStation 4, Islam, and his stance against same-sex marriage” on social media.
In one post, he wrote: “God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve, just saying.”
2) A look thus far at his Facebook page (which has now been removed) did not point toward any radical or extremist views. pic.twitter.com/kIXS899duP
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) March 23, 2021
However, Katz added: “We still don’t know what his motive was, or if he had one at all.
“But what I can say is that based on what I’ve seen of his social media presence, he didn’t even remotely suggest having radical Islamist leanings, or really radical leanings of any kind.
“There are already some suggesting he was a jihadi or anti-Trump terrorist, but social media posts they cite as evidence don’t really back it up.”
On Tuesday (23 March), police released a list of victims killed in the shooting: Denny Stong, 20, Neven Stanasic, 23, Rikki Olds, 25, Tralona Bartkowiak, 49, Suzanne Fountain, 59, Teri Leiker, 51, officer Eric Talley, 51, Kevin Mahoney, 61, Lynn Murray, 62, and Jody Waters, 65.
In a statement, chief Maris Herold said: “Our hearts go out to all of the victims killed during this senseless act of violence.
“We are committed to a thorough investigation and will bring justice to each of these families.
“The Boulder community is strong and compassionate, and I know we will come together to take care of each other during this time.”
