Colorado Shooter Posted Anti-LGBTQ Comments to Social Media

The Colorado man suspected of killing ten victims in a mass shooting at a Boulder, Colorado, King Soopers grocery store regularly posted anti-LGBTQ content to social media, according to LGBTQ Nation.

Ahmad Alissa, the 21-year-old suspect, was reportedly mentally ill, suffering from paranoia and hallucinations. In addition to posting about his love for sports, his social media accounts indicated his struggles with mental illness and were laden with homophobic language – particularly the words "fag" and "faggot."

Heavy reports that, in July 2019, Alissa mocked Microsoft's rainbow-colored Xbox logo, sharing a graphic of it with "F**box loses PS4 wins" along with laughing emojis.

"Isn't weird people who are always smiling and acting like they are having fun some of the most depressed people on earth," he wrote in a post on April 14, 2019. "And then people like me who don't bulls*** everything as in don't fake smile or just act normal are some of the happiest. #stillhappy #stopactinglike a f** #donttakeanyones***"

A month earlier, in March 2019, he posted, "God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve just saying."

Before surrendering to the police, Alissa was shot through the leg.

Police have identified the victims as Denny Stong, 20, Neven Stanasic, 23, Rikki Olds, 25, Tralona Bartkowiak, 49, Suzanne Fountain, 59, Teri Leiker, 51, Officer Talley, 51, Kevin Mahoney, 61, Lynn Murray, 62, and Jody Waters, 65.

The Colorado incident isn't the first time anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been associated with mass killing. After the 2016 Pulse Nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, it was discovered that the shooter Omar Mateen had a history of homophobia. Mateen, who worked as a security guard, made homophobic and racist comments to fellow employee, Daniel Gilroy. Mateen, recognized by people he interacted with on gay dating apps Grindr and Jack'd, was often seen in gay nightclubs – Pulse included – and suspected to have been gay by loved ones, including an ex-wife and former classmates.

Authorities are still investigating Alissa's motive for yesterday's shooting.

June 12 will mark the fifth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre.