Case #5: The Aurora, Colorado Mass Shooting
The Shooting:
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| The 12 people who lost their lives during the mass shooting |
July 20, 2012. 24-year-old James Holmes entered theater 9 at the Century 16 multiplex in Aurora, Colorado, dressed in a gas mask and black combat gear. He had actually bought a ticket to the movie prior. Holmes threw gas canisters into the theater. Initially, this was written off as a stunt for the movie The Dark Knight Rises. When he began to open fire, the audience members realized it wasn't a stunt. It was real. Holmes killed 12 people and wounded 70 others. 10 of the 12 people killed died at the scene. The other two died at local hospitals. Most of the injuries were received by way of gunshots. However, some of the injuries were obtained during the initial chaos. I also learned through my research that Holmes had actually left the theater at one point, and started shooting people outside the theater while they were attempting to flee. Police arrived quickly, and Holmes was arrested behind the theater. He put up no resistance. He had also told the arresting officers that he was "the Joker."
The Investigation:
After the police arrested him, he warned them that he had booby trapped his apartment. The next day, law enforcement reportedly found several explosives and tripwires, confirming that Holmes was telling the truth. It was also reported that law enforcement had found more than 20 bombs in his apartment alone. During the investigation, police learned that Holmes had gained access to weapons from several Colorado gun shops, and ordered thousands of rounds of ammo online. Another source cited the exact amount as 6,000. All of the weapons and ammunition were purchased legally according to the police. At this point, I would like to note that Holmes offered no motive when he was arrested by the police.
Some Background on James Holmes:
Holmes had attended University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora in 2011, but had dropped out after failing a particularly important exam in June of 2012. Court documents during the trial revealed that Holmes was being treated by a campus psychiatrist. This campus psychiatrist had also reported to campus police that Holmes was a danger to others, and that he had threatened her.
Holmes's Trial:
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| James Holmes during his trial |
In 2015, Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He only managed to avoid the death penalty because the jury couldn't come to a unanimous decision. This may have been because Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He was found guilty for all of the charges against him (165 charges from what I could tell). These charges included 2 counts of first-degree murder for each of the deceased victims, as well as two counts of attempted murder for each of the 70 people he injured. The final charge was for a failed attempt to blow up his apartment. When Holmes was found guilty, his surviving victims and the families of all of his victims showed serious relief. One of them even said they found it laughable that the defense even attempted to argue that he was not guilty by reason of insanity.
Final Notes:
I would have to say that I am glad he received a guilty verdict, and that he is not getting out of prison. How I would like to end this is with a list of the people he murdered, just to give an idea of what kind of "person" this man is.
Jonathan T. Blunk, 26Alexander J. Boik, 18
Air Force Staff Sgt Jesse E. Childress, 29
Gordon W. Cowden, 51
Jessica Ghawi, 24
Petty Officer 3rd Class John Thomas Larimer, 27
Matthew R. McQuinn, 27
Micayla C. Medek, 23
Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6
Alex M. Sullivan, 27
Alexander C. Teves, 24
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