LOS ANGELES, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The weapon used by the suspect in Monday's mass shooting in Boulder in U.S. state of Colorado was purchased legally, authorities said on Friday.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said at a news conference that the weapon allegedly used by 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was a semi-automatic Ruger AR-556 pistol, which was purchased legally from a shop in nearby city of Arvada.
Ten people, including one police officer, were killed in the mass shooting at a King Soopers supermarket by the suspect.
Alissa reportedly purchased the Ruger AR-556, a short-barreled AR-15 rifle, days before the mass shooting. The store owner who sold the gun to Alissa said that the suspect had passed a background check required by state authorities, a local newspaper, The Denver Post, reported.
Officials said the suspect also had a second weapon, a 9 mm handgun, with him but he didn't use it in Monday's shooting.
Alissa, a resident in Arvada, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder over shooting at police. Officials said they are planning to file additional charges of attempted murder against the suspect in the next couple of weeks.
Officials said that the motive of the shooting is still unclear.
Herold noted that 26 agencies have been working 24 hours a day to investigate and "like the rest of the community, we, too want to know why. why King Soopers, why Boulder, why Monday and unfortunately we don't yet have those answers." Enditem
