James Holmes (mass murderer)

James Holmes
Mugshot of Holmes at Arapahoe
County Jail after his arrest
Born
James Eagan Holmes

(1987-12-13) December 13, 1987 (age 36)
San Diego, California, U.S.
EducationWestview High School
Alma mater
Known forPerpetrator of the 2012 Aurora theater shooting
Criminal statusIncarcerated
MotiveDisputed:
Conviction(s)12 counts of first degree murder
140 counts of attempted first degree murder
1 count of possessing an illegal explosive device
1 sentence enhancement of a crime of violence[3][4]
Criminal penalty12 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, and an additional 3,318 years[5][6][7]
Imprisoned atUSP Allenwood

James Eagan Holmes (born December 13, 1987) is an American mass murderer responsible for the 2012 Aurora theater shooting in which he killed 12 people and injured 70 others (62 directly and eight indirectly) at a Century 16 movie theater on July 20, 2012.[10] He had no known criminal background before the shooting occurred.[10] Before the shooting, Holmes booby-trapped his apartment with explosives, which were defused one day later by a bomb squad.

Holmes was arrested shortly after the shooting and was jailed without bail while awaiting trial. Following this, he was hospitalized after attempting suicide several times while in jail. Holmes entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, which was accepted. His trial began on April 27, 2015.[11][12] On August 26, 2015, Judge Carlos Samour sentenced Holmes to 12 consecutive life sentences plus 3,318 years without parole after the jury spared Holmes the death penalty by a single vote. In imposing sentence, Judge Samour declared "it is the intention of this court that the defendant never set foot in free society again."[5][6]

  1. ^ "Documents: Holmes Wanted to Kill to be Famous". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "Psychiatrist: Much is still hidden in theater shooter's mind". Associated Press News. August 5, 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Riccard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Barajas, Joshua (April 27, 2015). "'Through this door is horror': Opening statements begin in theater shooting trial". PBS News Hour. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Healy, Jack (August 7, 2015). "A Life Sentence for James Holmes, Aurora Theater Gunman Who Killed 12". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Sickles, Jason (August 7, 2015). "Theater shooting verdict: James Holmes sentenced to life in prison". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  7. ^ Hickey, Chuck (August 26, 2015). "Max: Aurora theater shooter gets 12 counts of murder, 70 counts of attempted murder which was granted as life with no parole plus 3,138 years". FOX31. Archived from the original on August 27, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  8. ^ French, Ross (July 20, 2012). "Information regarding James Eagan Holmes". UCR Today. University of California, Riverside. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC 2012-07-21 Holmes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b "Colo. shooting suspect James Holmes' apartment booby trapped, police say". CBS News. July 20, 2012. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  11. ^ Villanueva, Raquel (April 26, 2015). "Aurora theater shooting trial adjourns for day". 9News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015.
  12. ^ Muskal, Michael. "Judge allows plea of not guilty by insanity for James Holmes". LA Times. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.