James Holmes (mass murderer)

James Eagan Holmes
James Holmes booking photo Booking photo of Holmes on the morning of July 20, 2012
Born	(1987-12-13) December 13, 1987 San Diego, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Jimmy Holmes
Education	Bachelor of Science (neuroscience)
Alma mater	University of California, Riverside University of Colorado, Denver (incomplete Ph.D. program)
Known for	Suspect in mass shooting
Criminal status	Jailed, 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.

Biography

Background

Holmes was born on December 13, 1987, the son of a registered nurse and a mathematician working as a senior scientist. His father has degrees from Stanford, UCLA and Berkeley. James Holmes was raised in San Diego, California. He graduated from Westview High School in the Torrey Highlands community of San Diego in 2006. Holmes played soccer and ran cross-country at Westview High.

In the summer of 2006 he got an internship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies where he was assigned to write computer code for an experiment. Holmes, who was described by his supervisor as stubborn, uncommunicative and socially inept, presented his project to the other interns at the end of the internship, but never actually completed it. In the summer of 2008 Holmes worked as a counselor for underprivileged children at Camp Max Straus in Glendale, California.

He obtained an undergraduate degree with the highest honors in neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside (UCR), which he attended since 2006, in 2010. He was a member of several honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key. The UCR chancellor stated that, having received the highest honors, Holmes was at the "top of the top". 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. In 2012, his academic performance declined, 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.

Holmes and his family were regular attendees of their local Presbyterian church. 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. In Aurora, he lived on Paris Street in a one-bedroom apartment, in a building with other students involved in health studies. In his rental application, he described himself as "quiet and easygoing". He left few digital footprints, other than a university email address, an old Myspace photo, a dating profile on Match.com, and a profile on Adult FriendFinder, as well as a resume at the employment website Monster.com.

Batman

It was reported that Holmes was a big fan of superheroes, including Batman, and that his apartment was decorated with Batman paraphernalia. His voicemail message was said to have been inspired by the distinctive, deep voice that is characteristic of Christian Bale's Batman-performance.

Preparation for shooting

On 22 May 2012, Holmes purchased his first weapon, a Glock pistol, at a Gander Mountain shop in Aurora, and six days later a shotgun at a Bass Pro Shops in Denver. The AR-15 and the second Glock pistol followed on June 7 and July 6 respectively. All the weapons were purchased legally. In the four months before the shooting Holmes also bought 3000 rounds of ammunitions for the pistols, 3000 rounds for the AR-15, and 350 shells for the shotgun over the internet. On July 2, he placed an order for a combat vest, magazine holders and a knife at an online retailer.

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.

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". Once apprehended, Holmes told the police that he had booby-trapped his apartment with explosive devices before heading to the theater. Police later confirmed the presence of explosives in the apartment. A month before the shooting, Holmes had applied to join a private gun range, which was denied.

Detention and arraignment

Holmes was initially jailed at Arapahoe Detention Center, under suicide watch. He is being held in solitary confinement to protect him from other inmates, a routine precaution for high-profile cases. On July 23, 2012, Holmes made his first court appearance in Centennial, Colorado, in front of Judge William B. Sylvester. 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.

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. Outside the courthouse, a growing number of reporters and curious onlookers gathered to have a glimpse of Holmes.

External links

• Video of Holmes speaking at a science camp