Man Accused In Boulder Shooting Makes 1st Court Appearance

If convicted of the crimes, Alissa faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Colorado's death penalty was repealed last year.

More than 400 people watched Thursday's virtual hearing.

Alissa is accused of opening fire Monday at the King Soopers store at 3600 Table Mesa Drive in Boulder.

Boulder police Officer Eric Talley was the first officer to arrive at the store, and he was shot to death, officials said. Nine other people — including three grocery store employees — were also killed.

In addition to the 10 first-degree murder charges, Alissa was also charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with an attempt to kill a second police officer who was called to the store, according to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty.

The families of the shooting victims face a "long journey to justice," Dougherty said. "I can promise you every step of the way, we are going to fight incredibly hard to secure the right outcome in this case," he said.

Alissa bought a Ruger AP-556 pistol less than a week before the deadly shooting, according to an arrest affidavit released Tuesday. Alissa also used a green tactical vest and a rifle in the shooting, the affidavit said.

"Every level of law enforcement — federal, state and local — is working together to make sure that we can bring justice in this case," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said at a news conference Tuesday.

A family member told Boulder police detectives that Alissa was seen playing with a weapon that looked like a "machine gun" before the shooting, the affidavit said.

Alissa also faces a previous charge of third-degree assault from Arvada that dates to 2018, the affidavit said.

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