The family members of Ahmad Alissa testified Tuesday about Alissa’s life prior to the Boulder King Soopers mass shooting in which ten people were fatally shot on March 22, 2021.

Alissa pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to 10 counts of first-degree murder, 38 counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, six counts of felony possession of a prohibited large capacity magazine, and 38 crime-of-violence sentence enhancers in connection with the shooting.

The defense attorneys are expected to rest Wednesday after they call their three remaining witnesses. The prosecution is expected to have one rebuttal witness. Closing statements are expected to occur before the end of the week.

Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Teri Leiker, 51; Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jody Waters, 65, were killed in the shooting.

‘He was probably possessed by spirits’

Moustafa Alissa, Ahmad Alissa’s father, testified through an interpreter that prior to the shooting Alissa became more isolative, messy, and began talking to himself and saying people were following him who weren’t there.

Moustafa Alissa explained that he believed his son was possessed by a jinn, a spirit, and didn’t receive counseling for his mental health. The father added that the defendant was an adult at the time and therefore his father couldn’t make him do anything he didn’t want to.

“It’s shameful in our culture if we say our son is crazy. We’re going to have negative feedback in our community and we were thinking … he was probably possessed by spirits or something,” Moustafa Alissa said.

Moustafa Alissa added that his son’s symptoms got worse after he had COVID-19 in November 2020; saying he gained weight, let his hair grow out and became more isolated. He also testified that his son was bullied at school for his name and religion.

“Ahmad complained a lot and we told him to go to the principal or go to a teacher. He went to the principal, he went to the teacher and no one did anything for him,” Moustafa Alissa said.

But on cross-examination, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty confirmed that Alissa “retaliated against the bully and took action.”

Moustafa Alissa said the shooting is very disturbing.

“We have been suffering severely. His mom has been crying daily,” Moustafa Alissa said. “May God rest the souls of the victims. May God treat his soul because he is sick.”

Dougherty also asked Moustafa Alissa about why he didn’t take him to counseling despite one of his daughters having gone through mental health counseling.

“I did not take him. What can I tell you? It would be very hard for the family, our reputation, to have a crazy son,” the father said.

Moustafa Alissa added that he’s not a doctor.

“I don’t even know the term they’re using … schizophrenia. I don’t know what that is,” the father said.

Dougherty asked Moustafa Alissa if he told police that Alissa played “Battlefield,” a first-person shooter video game. Moustafa Alissa said he did not but maybe someone else in the family told police that.

Dougherty also asked about how Moustafa Alissa told investigators he knew his son would go practice at the shooting range. Dougherty questioned him on the fact that he didn’t take the guns from Alissa despite believing he was possessed.

“He was to return it,” Moustafa said.

He later added, “He was not normal but we did not expect him to do what he did.”

‘I do see sadness’

The defendant’s sister Aziza Alissa described working with Ahmad Alissa in the family restaurant in 2018 and 2019 and said her brother would often burn food, forget things and need his siblings help.

“He had a problem of not focusing,” Aziza Alissa said through an interpreter. “We had to always tell him exactly what he needed to do.”

Aziza Alissa also said more than once she drove with her brother to work and he said there was someone following him but each time, there was no one suspicious there.

Dougherty asked Aziza Alissa to recall several things she reportedly said to police at the start of the investigation that were contradicted by her testimony; including not seeing Alissa present delusional behavior after 2019; talking to him the night before the shooting and saying he was normal; and saying her brother knew it was wrong to kill.

“When I look at him I do see sadness,” Aziza Alissa said.

She continued, “He thought people were chasing him, of course this will make you tired.”

Aziza Alissa said after the defendant contracted COVID in 2020 he changed physically but did not yell or become violent, he only became more quiet.

Herold then asked Aziza Alissa how she felt following the shooting.

“It was the worst days of my life. I can’t describe it. Not just that he did this, but the people this occurred to. The first week, no food or sleep. I can’t describe anything like it,” she said.

‘It’s one of my biggest regrets; not saying something’

Mohammad Alissa, the defendant’s older brother, described their childhood as “very normal,” but said by senior year of high school, Ahmad Alissa started to change.

“By senior year he started changing a bit and he cut off all his friends,” Mohammad Alissa said. “His answers became very, very short. He started speaking less, expressing less. … He was just completely different.”

Mohammad Alissa said his younger brother went to an Arvada King Soopers in late 2020 to buy Red Bull and when he came home he told Mohammad Alissa that there was a man with a hat in the store that knew really personal information about him.

Mohammad Alissa said he thought, “That’s extremely crazy … or he’s mentally not all there.”

The defendant’s brother also said from 2020 through 2021, Ahmad Alissa got burned by oil multiple times while working at the family restaurant. Despite the painful burns, Mohammad Alissa said his brother had no reaction to the pain.

“After getting COVID, he really let himself go,” Mohammad Alissa said, testifying that his brother gained weight and wore dirty shirts.

“I don’t think he was capable of making any decision at that time,” Mohammad Alissa said when asked if his brother could distinguish right from wrong. “That’s not what a normal person would be like.”

Dougherty on cross examination asked Mohammad Alissa why, if he thought his brother was incapable of making decisions, did he allow him to keep guns. Mohammad Alissa responded by reiterating that he was under the impression that Ahmad Alissa was going to return the gun the next day.

“He never showed any violent tendencies or said he was going to hurt anyone,” Mohammad Alissa said.

Dougherty also asked why Mohammad Alissa didn’t tell investigators that he thought his brother was incapable of making decisions. Mohammad said investigators didn’t ask and Alissa was normal in the sense that it was consistent with his unusual behavior for the year and a half beforehand.

“The guns, he should’ve never had them,” Mohammad Alissa said. “It’s one of my biggest regrets; not saying something or calling the cops. He’s not all mentally there.”

Mohammad Alissa explained that his family was fully cooperative with the investigation. His sister, Aicha Alissa, also testified and reiterated similar sentiments that Ahmad Alissa wasn’t aggressive and was found talking to himself.

Doctors take the stand

Dr. Michelle Arriaga-Colarelli, who worked with Ahmad Alissa at the state hospital, said the defendant had gradual improvements in response to medication.

“I would say that he exhibited a high number of negative symptoms when compared to other patients,” Arriaga said.

Arriaga said she noticed Alissa yawned a lot, drooled, wore dirty clothing and had signs and symptoms of disorganized thinking.

Assistant District Attorney Ken Kupfner asked Arriaga about notes she took when meeting with Ahmad Alissa when he laughed, was alert, able to focus, expressed shame and guilt for the shooting and engaged in karaoke.

Dr. Patricia Westmoreland, who diagnosed the defendant with schizophrenia and conduct disorder in 2021, also testified and said when she first met Ahmad Alissa in November 2021, he looked disheveled and not well groomed.

“Speech was slow and he was slow and took time before answering questions, he did so in a manner that was not very descriptive,” Westmoreland said.

Westmoreland was asked how COVID-19 can worsen mental illnesses as well as a lack of treatment. Westmoreland said people with untreated psychosis can suffer from damaged nerves in their brain due to chemical imbalances. She said if there is a long duration of symptoms before medication, someone can suffer from irreparable damage.

Ahmad Alissa did not receive mental health treatment or care prior to the shooting and had COVID-19 in November 2020.

Dougherty noted the defendant showed no signs of psychosis from April through September of 2021, but Westmoreland explained that his mental health deteriorating in 2021 could be due to being in jail, the natural course of waxes and wanes that comes with schizophrenia, and the stress of an upcoming trial.