Boulder, Colorado Shooting
In her informational article, Mariah shares details on the recent shooting in Boulder, Colorado, and the aftermath of the event.
Boulder, Colorado Shooting
By Mariah Lumsden
Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa allegedly shot and killed 10 people on Monday, March 22, 2021. The suspect’s home in Denver, Colorado was searched and other weapons were found, said a senior law enforcement source. Alissa has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder, as well as one charge of attempted murder.
Image: Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa booking photo, Associated Press
An anonymous senior law enforcement source told CNN that Alissa had used a Ruger AR-556 pistol whilst also carrying a 9-millimeter handgun. Investigators determined that the shooter had purchased the Ruger AR-556 pistol on March 16, over a week before the incident. The shooter’s family said Alissa could have potentially been suffering from a mental illness. A source who had known Alissa since fifth grade, Damien Cruz, said Alissa was “very alone.” In regards to Alissa’s suspected mental illness, Alissa’s brother stated, “He always suspected someone was behind him, someone was chasing him.” The shooter’s Facebook page featured posts showing he believed his former high school had been hacking into his phone. They believed this was due to racism, as Alissa and his family had immigrated to America from Syria.
A Jefferson County Public Schools spokesperson, Cameron Bell, said Alissa was a student at Arvada West High School from March 2015 until he graduated in May of 2018. Cameron Bell said in response to the shooting, “I never would have thought he would do such a thing. I am really sad for the lives that he wasted, and I feel sorry for all those families.” Later, a woman identified as the shooter’s sister-in-law said that she had seen Alissa playing with a gun she perceived as a machine gun about 2 days before. The police said Alissa had purchased the gun used in the shooting legally. It had been discovered that, prior to the shooting on March 22, 2021, Alissa had been sentenced to one year of probation and 48 hours of community service after being found guilty of third-degree assault in 2018. However, Alissa was booked into Boulder County Jail on Tuesday, on the account of the Boulder shooting.
The names and ages of the individuals tragically shot and killed in the Boulder, Colorado shooting are as follows: Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; Rikki Olds, 25; Neven Stanisic, 23; Denny Stong, 20; and Jody Waters, 65.
Image: Chet Strange/Getty Images)
It is no lie to say that America has always had a gun control problem. Before the pandemic, mass shootings were almost common to hear about every other day. Now that the country has opened back up, mass shootings are occurring once again. It is unfortunate that, most of the time, shootings are blamed on mental health issues and paint people with mental illnesses as violent. Mental health crises are not at fault, but that the fault instead lies with loose gun control laws. Alissa legally bought the very gun that killed 10 people. Why risk mass shootings and wasted lives by allowing such easy ways to buy guns? It is time for the laws to start caring about lives instead of the ability to have easy access to firearms.
Sources:
Sanchez, Ray, et al. "Here's what we know about the Boulder, Colorado mass shooting suspect." CNN, 24 Mar. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/03/23/us/boulder-colorado-shooting-suspect/index.html.
Rouan, Rick. "Fact Check: No evidence Colorado Shooting suspect entered country, bought gun, illegally." USA Today, 29 Mar. 2021, www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/03/29/fact-check-colorado-shooting-suspect-lived-us-bought-gun-legally/7049797002/.
