Police stand outside a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place, Monday, March 22, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press

Experts have found a man charged with killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket earlier this year is mentally incompetent to proceed in the case, attorneys said during a court hearing Friday.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 22, is accused of opening fire at a busy King Soopers in the college town of Boulder in March, killing a police officer, shoppers and several store employees including an Olympic hopeful distance runner.

His motive has not been revealed by prosecutors.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty said four doctors have now determined that Alissa isn’t mentally competent. He requested that Alissa be sent to the state hospital for treatment.

Alissa’s defense attorney, Kathryn Herold, said he has a “serious” mental illness but didn’t provide any more details.

Judge Ingrid Bakke ruled that Alissa was incompetent and ordered him to be sent to the mental hospital.

An earlier evaluation found Alissa was not mentally competent but prosecutors asked for a second evaluation to be conducted. Judge Bakke had ordered the first evaluation after Alissa’s attorneys questioned his competence based on an evaluation by their own expert.

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