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Colorado supermarket shooting suspect found not competent to stand trial for second time by doctors

BOULDER, Colo. — The man accused of killing 10 people in a mass shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, in March was found “not competent to proceed” Friday for the second time in as many months.

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Prosecutors had requested a second competency exam for Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 22, after a court-ordered doctors’ evaluation filed with the court on Oct. 5 determined that he was incompetent to stand trial, KKTV reported.

>> Related: Colorado supermarket shooting suspect found not competent to stand trial by doctors

Alissa is facing 115 charges and sentence enhancers related to the deadly March 22 attack at the King Soopers grocery store, including 10 counts of first-degree murder.

>> Related: Boulder supermarket shooting: Suspect charged with 10 counts of 1st-degree murder; victims identified

All four psychologists who examined the suspect over the course of the two exams found him incompetent to stand trial, The Denver Post reported.

In light of Friday’s ruling, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty requested that Alissa be sent to Colorado’s state mental hospital for treatment, and Chief Judge Ingrid Bakke ordered the suspect be transported immediately to the state hospital in Pueblo, the newspaper reported.

The ordered commitment is expected to delay the case’s progression for at least three months, KKTV reported.

The specific nature of Alissa’s mental health issues was not discussed during the Friday hearing, but his attorney characterized it as a “serious mental illness.” Meanwhile, Dougherty acknowledged the defendant’s recent setbacks but told the Post that he is confident that treatment and medication will restore Alissa to competency.

Officials at the state hospital in Pueblo will provide updates on Alissa’s progress to the court every 30 days, and Bakke is not scheduled to review the defendant’s status again until a March 15 hearing, the newspaper reported.

Neither the defendant nor law enforcement officials have publicly provided a motive for the shooting.

>> Related: Boulder supermarket shooting: What we know about the victims

In addition to the first-degree murder charges, Alissa is also charged with 33 counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault and 10 counts of using a prohibited large-capacity magazine during a crime, court documents stated.

According to KUSA, each first-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole, while each of the attempted murder charges carries a sentence of between 16 and 48 years.