Prosecutors expect to file additional attempted first-degree murder charges against the suspect accused of killing 10 people Monday at a Boulder King Soopers, according to Boulder County’s district attorney.  

Investigators so far have spent more than 3,000 total hours conducting 156 interviews and gathering more than 223 leads to unravel what might have motivated the suspect, 21-year-old Ahmad Alissa, to travel from Arvada to Boulder to open fire on shoppers and workers in the middle of a Monday afternoon.  

“Like the rest of the community, we too want to know why. Why that King Soopers, why Boulder, why Monday?” said Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold at a news conference Friday morning. “Unfortunately, at this time, we still don’t have those answers.” 

Earlier this week prosecutors formally charged Alissa with 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The charging documents say Alissa faces the attempted murder count for attempting to kill Officer Richard Steidell. 

Dougherty said other officers who responded to the attack also faced gunfire from Alissa, the reason for forthcoming additional first-degree murder charges. He said his office also anticipates eventually filing other charges, but didn’t provide specifics.  

Alissa suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh, but officials did not confirm Friday whether the shot came from an officer. 

Dougherty said he has an estimate of the number of shots fired by the suspect, but declined to share the information. 

Alissa first appeared in court Thursday morning. Judge Thomas Mulvahill oversaw yesterday’s hearing, but Judge Ingrid Bakke will preside over the case itself. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Friday Alissa’s next court date will be announced next week.  

The next date will be a proof-evident presumption-great hearing, a requirement in Colorado when someone is charged with first-degree murder and held without bail. Prosecutors must establish the proof is evident or the presumption great that the accused committed the crime.  

Dougherty stressed the need for Alissa to get a fair trial, saying he was being cautious about sharing too much information at this point to avoid a motion by the defense to move the trial out of Boulder County.  

“And I want to make sure that the people of Boulder have the opportunity for this trial to be held and for justice to be done here in Boulder County,” he said.  

Alissa has been moved out of the Boulder County jail, where he arrived Tuesday. Dougherty vaguely cited reported security concerns, but said he did not have more information to provide and did not say where Alissa is currently held.  

Defense attorneys indicated at Thursday morning’s hearing they are evaluating Alissa’s mental health. They did not give specific details of Alissa’s mental illness they referenced in Thursday’s hearing, but said they will need to go through prosecutors’ evidence to assess its “needs and depth.” 

As of Thursday, the defense has not officially raised the issue of competency to proceed. Competency relates to the defendant’s current mental state. It is a different issue from sanity: someone’s ability to judge right from wrong at the time of a crime. 

Officials say the suspect used a semiautomatic Ruger AR-556 firearm. Alissa also had 9-millimeter handgun, but Herold said they don’t believe he used it in the attack.  

Herald confirmed he bought the pistol legally. Alissa has a 2018 conviction for third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, but according to previous reporting by The Gazette, the conviction didn’t bar him from purchasing the gun.

Denver Gazette partner 9News has reported Alissa purchased it from Eagles Nest Armory in Arvada. Owner John Mark Eagleton provided the following statement:  

“We are absolutely shocked by what happened and our hearts are broken for the victims and families that are left behind. Ensuring every sale that occurs at our shop is lawful, has always been and will always remain the highest priority for our business.”

“Regarding the firearm in question, a background check of the purchaser was conducted as required by Colorado law and approval for the sale was provided by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. We have and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement as their investigation continues.”