As America comes to terms with another tragic shooting just days after Robert Aaron Long allegedly killed eight people in Atlanta, authorities are scrambling to learn more about the man they named as their only suspect.
Ahamd Alissa, 21, was identified on Tuesday and has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder, police said.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Harold said that the man they took into custody following Monday’s massacre at a King Soopers is from Arvada, about 20 miles south of Boulder.
She also identified the 10 slain victims, who range in age from 20 to 65, saying the last body was removed from the scene at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Family members were notified about two hours later.
“I want to say to the community, I am so sorry this incident happened,” the chief told reporters with tears in her eyes, “and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure this suspect has a thorough trial and we do a thorough investigation.”
After last week’s Atlanta incident, many politicians and other commentators immediately declared the brutal killings a hate crime because the majority of victims were Asian and the perpetrator was a White American. The rush to judgement came despite law enforcement officials saying they had not yet gathered evidence that Long was motivated by racial animus.
According to his social media profile, Alissa was a keen sportsman who practiced Jiu Jitsu and had won competitions in the past.