Boulder shooter Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was in the radar of the FBI, but the national agency apparently missed acting on him strongly enough to avoid the dastardly shooting, according to reports.
The New York Times has reported that Al Issa's identity was known to federal officials by virtue of his links to another person under FBI investigation.
"The suspect's identity was previously known to the F.B.I. because he was linked to another individual under investigation by the bureau, according to law enforcement officials," the NYT said.
Still Piecing Together Motive
There has been confirmation of any links the shooter had with organized terror outfits like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) despite such rumor spreading on the social space following the shooting in Kings Soopers grocery story in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday afternoon, which killed 10 people including a police officer.
The police are still trying to piece together aspects of Al Issa's life to put together the motive behind the carnage.
As information on the shooter trickled in, it was revealed that he hailed from Syria and that his family had arrived from the war-torn country seeking refuge. The gunman is learnt to be a naturalized US citizen.
The brother of the suspect told CNN that Al-Issa was bullied in high school by classmates as he hailed from Syria and poked fun of his name, and also taunted him for being a Muslim, and that may have contributed to him having ''anti-social'' tendencies.
People Hardly Spoke to Him
The suspect is known to have mostly no friends and was very alone all throughout his growing up years. It is known that he had a bad temper and people hardly spoke or mingled with him.
The police believe no other person is involved in the gruesome massacre, CBS Denver reported. Other reports said the police have concluded that Al Issa has lived in the US for most of his life.
The suspect's name is also spelled as Ahmad Alissa in some reports. Yet another report said his full name was Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa. He has been identified as resident of Arvada, which is roughly 20 miles south of Boulder.
According to multiple witnesses of the carnage, the 21-year-old gunman opened fire in the parking first and then entered the store to shoot more people dead.
Earlier Conviction of Al-Issa
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said Al Issa has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder. "We are going to make sure we do everything in our power to make sure this suspect has a thorough trial and we do a thorough investigation," the officer said, according to the Washington Post.
Al-Issa graduated Arvada West High School in 2018, the Denver Post reported. He was a member of the school's wrestling team, the report added.
According to the NYT, Al Issa was convicted of misdemeanor assault against a student during his senior year in 2018. He is reported to have confessed to the authorities that the attack was triggered by ethnic insults he suffered.
