(AP) Lawyers for a man charged with killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 confirm he has schizophrenia, with one expert finding he was “approaching catatonia” before being moved to the state mental hospital for treatment.
The defense information, contained in a court filing earlier this month, provides the clearest picture to date of 23-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa’s mental health. District Attorney Michael Dougherty had mentioned last month that Alissa had been showing symptoms of schizophrenia, a mental disorder which causes people to have trouble understanding reality, but would not elaborate.
In their Feb. 16 brief, Alissa’s lawyers said that four psychologists have concluded that Alissa has schizophrenia, with an expert selected by prosecutors concluding that Alissa was “approaching catatonia” while he was still in jail. Catatonia can result in people being unable to move or speak at all, they said.
