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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = James Eagan Holmes
| name = James Eagan Holmes
| image =
| image = James Holmes booking photo.jpg
| image_size =
| image_size =
| alt =
| alt = James Holmes booking photo
| caption = Booking photo of James Holmes on the morning of July 20, 2012.
| caption = Booking photo of James Holmes on the morning of July 20, 2012.
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
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== Background ==
== Background ==
{{externalimage|image1=[http://www.businessinsider.com/james-holmes-official-booking-photo-2012-7 James Holmes police photograph]}}
Holmes was born on December 13, 1987,<ref name="BBC 2012-07-21 Holmes" /> the son of a [[registered nurse]], Arlene, and a mathematician, Robert, working as a senior scientist.<ref name="UTSandiego" /><ref name="Mercury" /><ref name="USAtoday" /> His father has degrees from [[Stanford]], [[UCLA]] and [[UC Berkeley|Berkeley]].<ref name="UT" /> James Holmes was raised in [[San Diego]], [[California]].<ref name="Mercury" /><ref name="AP whois Holmes" /><ref name="abc120720e" /> He graduated from [[Westview High School (San Diego)|Westview High School]] in the [[Torrey Highlands, San Diego|Torrey Highlands]] community of San Diego in 2006.<ref name="USAtoday" /><ref name="ABC Banda Peipert" /><ref name="huffingtonpost Lohr" /> Holmes played soccer and ran cross-country at Westview High.<ref name="UT" />
Holmes was born on December 13, 1987,<ref name="BBC 2012-07-21 Holmes" /> the son of a [[registered nurse]], Arlene, and a mathematician, Robert, working as a senior scientist.<ref name="UTSandiego" /><ref name="Mercury" /><ref name="USAtoday" /> His father has degrees from [[Stanford]], [[UCLA]] and [[UC Berkeley|Berkeley]].<ref name="UT" /> James Holmes was raised in [[San Diego]], [[California]].<ref name="Mercury" /><ref name="AP whois Holmes" /><ref name="abc120720e" /> He graduated from [[Westview High School (San Diego)|Westview High School]] in the [[Torrey Highlands, San Diego|Torrey Highlands]] community of San Diego in 2006.<ref name="USAtoday" /><ref name="ABC Banda Peipert" /><ref name="huffingtonpost Lohr" /> Holmes played soccer and ran cross-country at Westview High.<ref name="UT" />


Revision as of 23:41, 23 July 2012

James Eagan Holmes
James Holmes booking photo
Booking photo of James Holmes on the morning of July 20, 2012.
Born (1987-12-13) December 13, 1987 (age 36)
San Diego, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesJimmy Holmes[1]
EducationBachelor of Science (neuroscience)
Alma mater
Known forSuspect in mass shooting
Criminal statusJailed, pending trial

James Eagan Holmes (born December 13, 1987) is the suspected perpetrator of a mass shooting at a cinema that occurred on July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colorado. He has no known prior criminal record.[3]

Background

Holmes was born on December 13, 1987,[2] the son of a registered nurse, Arlene, and a mathematician, Robert, working as a senior scientist.[4][5][6] His father has degrees from Stanford, UCLA and Berkeley.[1] James Holmes was raised in San Diego, California.[5][7][8] He graduated from Westview High School in the Torrey Highlands community of San Diego in 2006.[6][9][10] Holmes played soccer and ran cross-country at Westview High.[1]

He obtained an undergraduate degree with the highest honors[11][12] in neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) in 2010.[13] He was a member of several honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key.[14] The UCR chancellor stated that, having received the highest honors, Holmes was at the "top of the top".[15] He enrolled as a Ph.D. student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. He received a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health to work on his Ph.D. there.[16] In 2012, his academic performance declined,[17] and he scored poorly on the comprehensive exam in the spring. The university was not planning to expel him. However, Holmes was in the process of withdrawing from the university.[18]

Holmes and his family were regular attendees of their local Presbyterian church.[19] In the summer of 2008, Holmes worked as a counselor at a residential summer camp in Glendale, California, that catered to needy children aged 7–14. There he was responsible for 10 children and had no disciplinary problems.[20] In Aurora, he lived on Paris Street in a one-bedroom apartment, in a building with other students involved in health studies.[21] In his rental application, he described himself as "quiet and easygoing".[22] He left few digital footprints, other than a university email address, an old Myspace photo[23] and a profile on Adult FriendFinder.[24]

On June 25, less than a month before the shooting, Holmes emailed an application to join a gun club in Byers, Colorado. The owner, Glenn Rotkovich, called him several times throughout the following days to invite him to a mandatory orientation, but could only reach his answering machine. Due to the nature of Holmes' voice mail, which he described as "bizarre, freaky", "guttural, spoken with a deep voice, incoherent and rambling" Rotkovich instructed his staff to inform him, if Holmes should show up, though Holmes neither made his appearance at the gun range, nor called back.[25]

Aurora theater shooting

Century 16 at Town Center at Aurora, scene of the shooting.
Main article: 2012 Aurora shooting

Holmes is suspected of having killed 12 and wounded 58 in the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, USA cinema shooting, on July 20, 2012, with multiple guns after setting off several gas or smoke canisters. The police arrested an unresisting Holmes behind the Century 16 cinema, next to his car. The responding officers recovered several guns from inside the car and the theater. According to two federal authorities, Holmes had dyed his hair red and called himself "The Joker".[26] Once apprehended, Holmes told the police that he had booby-trapped his apartment with explosive devices before heading to the theater.[8][27][28] Police later confirmed the presence of explosives in the apartment.[29] A month before the shooting, Holmes had applied to join a private gun range,[30] which was denied.[31]

Detention and arraignment

Holmes was initially jailed at Arapahoe Detention Center, under suicide watch.[32] He is being held in solitary confinement to protect him from other inmates, a routine precaution for high-profile cases.[33] On July 23, 2012, Holmes made his first court appearance in Centennial, Colorado, in front of Judge William B. Sylvester.[34] He was read his rights and no bond was given. A mandatory protection order was issued by the judge. The judge appointed a public defender. Formal charges will be filed on July 30, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. MDT. Holmes said nothing and never looked at the judge.[35]

The courtroom was completely full, and a room was open to accommodate the number of reporters from around the world that went to report on his first court appearance.[36] Outside the courthouse, a growing number of reporters and curious onlookers gathered to have a glimpse of Holmes.[36]

References

  1. ^ a b c Peter Rowe and John Wilkens (July 20, 2012). "Quiet, unassuming, San Diegan accused of mass murder". UT San Diego. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Profile: Aurora cinema shooting suspect James Holmes". BBC. July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  3. ^ "Colo. shooting suspect James Holmes' apartment booby trapped, police say". CBS News. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  4. ^ Peter Rowe and John Wilkens (July 20, 2012). "Quiet, unassuming San Diegan accused of mass murder". U-T San Diego. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Sara Burnett and Jessica Fender (July 20, 2012). "Colorado shooting suspect James Eagan Holmes was honor student". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "A closer look at Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes". USA Today. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  7. ^ "Who is James Egan Holmes?". The Blade. Toledo, OH. Associated Press. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Sandell, Clayton; Dolak, Kevin; Curry, Colleen (July 20, 2012). "Colorado Movie Theater Shooting: Suspect Bought 4 Guns, 6,000 Rounds of Ammunition in Past 60 Days". ABC News. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  9. ^ Banda, P. Solomon; Peipert, Thomas. "Movie Massacre: Shock, Sadness, a Search for Clues". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved July 21, 2012.[verification needed]
  10. ^ Lohr, David (July 20, 2012). "Colorado Shooting: What We Know About James Holmes (UPDATED)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  11. ^ Whitaker, Bill (July 20, 2012). "James Holmes "smart" but "quiet," teachers and neighbors say". CBS News. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  12. ^ Burnett, Sara. "Theater shooting suspect: A quiet man who authorities say harbored a deadly plan". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  13. ^ Stickney, R.; Tevrizian, Megan; Powell, Brandi (July 20, 2012). "Westview HS Graduate 'Acted Alone' in Deadly Rampage: Investigators". NBC San Diego. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  14. ^ "Aurora suspect James Holmes was buying guns, dropping out of graduate school". MSNBC. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  15. ^ "Chancellor Timothy P. White Press conference video". University of California, Riverside.
  16. ^ "University: CO shooting suspect had federal grant". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  17. ^ Leonnig, Carol D.; Achenbach, Joel (July 20, 2012). "James Holmes, held in Colorado shooting, had academic promise but was struggling". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  18. ^ "Statement from the university on James Holmes". University of Colorado Denver. July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  19. ^ "'Dark Knight'" shooting suspect's neighbor: 'He seemed like a normal kid'". LA Times. July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  20. ^ Dedman, Bill (July 21, 2012). "Photos of James Holmes, camp counselor for underprivileged kids". NBC News. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  21. ^ Castillo, Mariano (July 21, 2012). "James Eagan Holmes: Aurora, Colorado shooting suspect: Who is he?". CNN. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  22. ^ "Aurora suspect James Holmes was buying guns, dropping out of graduate school". ABC News. July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  23. ^ Stern, Joanna (July 20, 2012). "James Holmes: Colorado Shooting Suspect Had Few Digital Fingerprints". ABC News. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  24. ^ "Gunman who massacred 12 at movie premiere used same drugs that killed Batman star Heath Ledger and messaged web lovers to ask... Will you visit me in prison?".
  25. ^ Gun club owner rejected James Holmes just WEEKS before shooting spree because of 'freaky' answering message, Daily Mail (July 22, 2012)
  26. ^ "Aurora 'Dark Knight' Suspect James Holmes Says He 'Was the Joker': Cops". ABC News. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  27. ^ "70 Shot In Movie Theater Mass Shooting; 12 Killed". The Denver Channel. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  28. ^ Minshew, Charles (July 20, 2012). "Map: Aurora theater shooting, suspect's apartment, hospitals". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  29. ^ "Colo. suspect's apartment 'booby-trapped'". Clinton News-Record. Reuters. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  30. ^ "Exclusive: Massacre suspect James Holmes' gun-range application drew red flag". Fox News. July 22, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  31. ^ Winter, Jana. "Massacre suspect James Holmes' gun-range application drew red flag". Fox News. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  32. ^ Lysiak, Matthew; Arkin, James; Mcshane, Larry (July 21, 2012). "Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes jailed in solitary: 'All the inmates were talking about killing him'". Daily News. New York. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  33. ^ "James Eagan Holmes will appear in court on Monday". Global Post. July 23, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  34. ^ PBS (23 July 2012). "Watch Theater Shooting Suspect's First Court Appearance". YouTube. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  35. ^ "Formal charges coming in a week in Colorado shootings". CNN. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  36. ^ a b Frosch, Dan (23 July 2012). "Suspect in Colorado Shooting to Appear in Court". New York Times. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
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