James Holmes Colorado Shooter Makes First Court Appearance [Photo]
James Eagan Holmes, the man accused of killing a dozen people in a Colorado movie theater at the midnight premier of "The Dark Knight Rises," made his first appearance in court today.
The alleged suspect sat wide-eyed and silent in a jailhouse jump suit with his hair dyed bright red and orange.
Holmes, 24, who was shackled at the wrists and ankles, appeared emotionless during the brief hearing, looked straight ahead and occasionally closed his eyes.
Holmes was represented by a public defender during the brief hearing before Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester. The judge said murder charges would be filed on Monday July 30, according to Reuters.
Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers is trying to decide whether to seek the death penalty for Holmes, acording to Huffington Post. The decision will be made based on consultation with the victims' families.
The crime meets all the elements of Colorado capital case law, including premeditation, multiple victims, and the killing of a child, said former Denver prosecutor Craig Silverman. "If James Holmes isn't executed, Colorado may as well throw away its death penalty law," said Silverman.
Police say Holmes was wearing a gas mask, dressed in body armor and toting three guns when he opened fire at an audience in a movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora, according to several reports. In addition to the dozen that were killed from the shooting, fifty-eight other people were hurt from injuries as a result of the shooting spree.
Holmes was armed with a Smith & Wesson M&P .223 semi-automatic rifle, similar to an AR-15 assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a Glock .40-caliber handgun, according to local police. Police also found an additional Glock .40-caliber handgun in his car. All of the weapons had been bought legally, authorities reported.
Police said Holmes began buying guns nearly two months before Friday's shooting and that he received at least 50 packages in four months at his home and at school, according to Huffington Post.
Holmes had recently dropped out of a doctoral degree program in neuroscience at the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical School, located a few blocks from his apartment.
