Overview

• Ahmad Alissa's mother, Khadija Ahidid, testified that her son showed signs of severe mental illness before the 2021 Boulder supermarket shooting.
• Alissa, who emigrated from Syria as a child, began displaying paranoid behavior and isolating himself from family starting in 2019.
• The defense argues that Alissa was legally insane at the time of the shooting, while prosecutors maintain he knew his actions were wrong.
• Ahidid stated she was unaware of her son's plan and thought a large package containing a rifle might have been a piano or violin.
• Forensic psychologists and prosecutors point to Alissa's planning and research for the attack as evidence he understood the consequences of his actions.