Fortunately, they survived the attack. [73][74][75], On July 30, Colorado prosecutors filed formal charges against Holmes, including 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of illegal possession of explosives. iwondergallery. He said they picked up some tequila and went back to the homehe, his mother and his sister had just moved to in Aurora. [79], A judge ruled on August 30 that a notebook written by Holmes, in which he allegedly described a violent attack, was covered by physicianpatient privilege because it was addressed to his psychiatrist. [27] Some people reported the shooting via Twitter or text messaging rather than calling the police; officers were already at the theater by the time that the tweets were sent. [4] This number was later surpassed by the 107 victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and eventually the 927 victims of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. On August 7, the jury deadlocked on whether to impose the death penalty. It isnt. Earlier this year, he was found guilty of first-degree murder of Patricia. [49] Two days later, residents were allowed to return to the four surrounding buildings, and six days later, residents were allowed to move back into the formerly booby-trapped building. She was more outgoing than her husband, Bruce, a Navy veteran who was quieter and easygoing. He was also tried for the murder of Patricia Smith, an interior designer who was sexually assaulted and hammered to death six days before the Bennett murders. Susan Sarkauskas. Though it was difficult to see the kaleidoscopic colours with the naked eye due to light pollution . He also said claims alleging violations of the Colorado Premises Liability Act could proceed. [77], On August 9, Holmes' attorneys said he is mentally ill and they needed more time to assess the nature of his illness. [179][180], The Century 16 theater where the shooting occurred was rebranded as the Century Aurora theater by its parent company Cinemark Theatres. Jump to Chapter Chapter 1: Aberrations Chapter 2: Synopsis Chapter 3: About The Author Chapter 4: 1. . His DNA also was found in the Lakewood home of Patricia Smith, 50, who was killed six days earlier. 26. In an interview on CNN, Teves' parents said they and the relatives of other victims believe the mass media coverage of Holmes' name and photo may inspire others to commit mass shootings for notoriety. [135], Christopher Nolan, the film's director, spoke on behalf of his cast and crew and called the event "savage" and "devastating". Holmes confessed to the shooting but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Shooting Suspect is Mentally ill", "Prosecutors: Colo. suspect James Holmes made threat in March", "Aurora prosecutors drop fight for James Holmes' notebook", "Colorado Theater Shooting Lawyers Head Back to Court", "Aurora theater shooting: Cops took pill bottles from Holmes' apartment", "Aurora cinema massacre suspect James Holmes offers to plead guilty", "James Holmes prosecutors seek death penalty against Aurora suspect", "Judge considering another James Holmes trial delay", "Details emerge about jury picked for Colorado theater shooting trial", Colorado movie gunman not faking psychosis, defense witness says, "Facts, emotions take turn at Colorado theater shooting trial", "Aurora theater trial jurors see James Holmes' evidence", "Aurora movie theater shooting: Attorneys who'll be trying to prove James Holmes' guilt or innocence", "Aurora theater shooting notebook details aired for first time", "James Holmes' notebook read to jury in Colorado movie massacre trial", "Psychiatrist: Colorado shooter knew what he was doing", "Second psychiatrist concludes Colorado cinema gunman was sane", "Judge in Colorado theater shooting trial dismisses 3rd juror", "Theater shooter's ex asked him to see therapist", "Judge dismisses fifth juror in Colorado movie theater shooting trial", "Movie theater gunman says he will not testify", "Defense in Colorado theater shooting trial rests its case", "James Holmes Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Colorado Theater Mass Shooting, Shows No Reaction", "James Holmes guilty of murder in Aurora theater shooting", "Colorado death penalty in focus as massacre trial enters new phase", "James Holmes jury find aggravating factors exist, moves on to second phase", "Father of Colorado movie gunman pleads with jury for his life", "James Holmes Defense Make Final Appeal For Mercy", "James Holmes moves closer to death penalty verdict", "Why James Holmes Is a Step Closer to Facing the Death Penalty", "Theater shooting verdict: James Holmes sentenced to life in prison", "James Holmes sentenced to life in prison in the Aurora theater shooting", "Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes to be sentenced to life in prison", "WATCH LIVE: Day 2 in the sentencing of Aurora theater shooting gunman", "Tearful Vigils Remember Victims of Aurora Massacre", "Obama Colorado Shooting Proclamation: Flags To Be Flown at Half Staff for Victims", "Obama, Romney pull Colorado ads off air in wake of Aurora shooting", "Obama, Romney express condolences for Colorado shooting victims", "Aurora shooting: Obama says all US stands with victim", "Obama Consoles Aurora as City Begins Healing", "After Aurora shootings, Obama Again Takes on Role as Healer in Chief in Colorado", "President Barack Obama Visits Aurora Victims' Families and Survivors", "Message of condolence following recent tragic events in the USA, 20 July 2012", "Communiqu Fusillade dans un cinma amricain", "PM Netanyahu Sends Condolence Letter to US President Barack Obama Following the Massacre in Aurora, Colorado", "Condolences to US President Barack Obama", "Pope Promises Prayers for Denver Victims", "Dark Knight Rises Director Christopher Nolan Breaks Silence on 'Unbearably Savage' Colorado Shooting", "Warner Bros. Cancels 'Dark Knight Rises' Premieres in Mexico and Japan", "Batman film Marketing Campaign Scaled Down in Finland", "Batman-elokuvan nettikampanja keskeytettiin Suomessa", "In Wake of Shooting, 'The Dark Knight Rises' Won't Report Early Box Office Figures", "Warner Bros. Said to Pull Some TV Ads for 'Dark Knight', "Box office Update: Studios Not Releasing Numbers Today", "Warner Bros. To Make 'Substantial' Donation to Colorado Shooting Victims", "Christopher Nolan on Theater Shooting: 'I Would Like to Express Our Profound Sorrow', "Dark Knight Rises Shooting: Christian Bale Visits Victims in Hospital", "Colorado Rockies pay visit to Aurora shooting survivors and hospital staff", "Gangster Squad Trailer Yanked from Internet, Dark Knight Rises Following Colorado Shooting", "Warner Bros Pulls Trailer of Gangster Shooting Up Movie Theater", "Out of respect for grieving families, "Gangster Squad" scene refilmed after Aurora theater shootings", "BATMAN INC No. He had violently attacked, raped and killed Patricia Smith in Lakewood a few days before the Aurora attacks. [147] The song was sold for donations that went to a fund for the victims. The familys youngest daughter, 3-year-old Vanessa Bennett, was brutally attacked but survived. [20] Ambulances were hindered by chaos and congestion in the parking lot, and they were unable to reach the back of the complex where police had pulled the injured out through the emergency exit doors of Theatre 9. Your login session has expired. His DNA almost immediately matched with the evidence in the Colorado killings. Ahead of the People Magazine Investigates' episode titled The Colorado Hammer Killer, which is scheduled to arrive this Monday, July 11, here are five appalling facts about Alex Ewing. [55] Four people's eyes were irritated by the tear gas grenades, while eight others sustained non-gunshot injuries while fleeing the theater. Vanessa was found in bed, clinging to life beside a blood-soaked teddy bear. [136] Christian Bale, who plays Batman in the film series, privately visited victims on July 24. In 2001, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation was able to establish a DNA profile from semen collected from the carpet and comforter in the Bennett sisters bedroom. Looked sideways at people in the grocery store. Despite heavy criticism from families and loved ones of victims,[181][182] the theater was not demolished and reopened to the public after cleaning and renovation on January 25, 2013, nearly 6 months after the shooting. [132] Some television advertisements for the film were also canceled. [78] Prosecutors alleged on August 24, 2012, that Holmes told a classmate he wanted to kill people four months before the shooting. On July 16 of that year, Holmes was convicted of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives. He remembers the sight of his co-worker, just a teenager, lying motionless on a blood-soaked floor. [31][32] Three days later, at his first court appearance in Centennial, Colorado, Holmes's hair appeared reddish-orange. Alex Ewing, 61 . Five men Jonathan Blunk, John Larimer, Matt McQuinn, Jesse Childress, and Alexander C. Teves died protecting their girlfriends or friends. [85] It ended on April 15, 2015. Aurora, Colorado Nathan Dunlap visits his former place of employment, shoots 5 former co-workers killing 4, and robs the store of $1,500. The center offers therapy for people who experienced traumatic stress from the theater shooting, and also people who were victims of other crimes and refugees who experienced a traumatic event in their country of origin before coming to the U.S.[172][173], Colorado gun sales spiked after the shooting, with the number of background checks for people seeking to purchase a firearm in the state increasing to 2,887, up 43% from the previous week. On July 16, 2015, James Holmes was found guilty on all 165 counts against . Director Christopher Nolan's reaction to the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Updated: 1:48 PM MST March 1, 2023. A lifetime ago on a Sunday night, Connie Bennett taught her 7-year-old granddaughter to pick out a melody on a chord organ, an early birthday gift shed nabbed from a thrift store for the girl, whod turn 8 in two days. The investigation began at approximately 12:45 p.m. Sunday, when the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at a residence of 502 Carnahan Street in Marquette. [168] The judge allowed Cinemark Theatres to submit a bill of costs to the plaintiffs to recover expenses due to the litigation, as Colorado state law allows for prevailing parties. [174] Gun sales in Washington, Florida, California, and Georgia also increased. She was pushed or fell to the bedroom floor, and died there. [171], A grassroots community center, Aurora Strong Resilience Center, was established by community leaders, elected officials, and mental health professionals, as a response to the shooting. OJ Simpson / The Glove Didn't Fit Chapter 17: 14 . Media organizations challenged the sealing of the court file. 4147. [181] The reopening ceremony, which was boycotted by opponents of the theater's reopening, included a memorial service and a screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Jurors were prohibited from learning about Ewing's conviction for the Bennett family trial in Arapahoe County when a discussion attempted to draw parallels between the two murder cases. Melissa Bennett seemed to enjoy the instrument, and when Connie headed home around 9 p.m. that night, she thought shed visit again and give more lessons if Melissa stayed interested. [91][92] On May 27, Dr. William Reid, a court-appointed psychiatrist, testified that Holmes was mentally ill but legally sane. Booking photos for (from left) Master Martin, Jesus Mendoz-Prudente and Jerome Johnson. [102][103] On July 23, the jury ruled that Holmes acted in a cruel manner, was lying in wait, and ambushed his victims during the shooting, which constitute as aggravating factors. The victim, identified as Helene Michelle Brooks, 57, died as a result of blunt force injuries and her cause of death is also considered a homicide, according to the coroner's office. Some witnesses thought he was wearing a costume, like other audience members who had dressed up for the screening. [146], Hans Zimmer, who composed the soundtrack for The Dark Knight Rises, recorded a choral song entitled "Aurora" in honor of the victims. A second trial was attempted earlier this year which went on for five days and took the jury over five hours to come up with a verdict that found him guilty of first-degree murder. Dan Oates, Aurora's interim police chief, said three men and one woman were killed in the attack just after 2 a.m. Sunday. 1 weather alerts 1 closings . The grizzly site was at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012. The studio canceled the film's gala premieres in France, Mexico, and Japan,[128][129] scaled down its marketing campaign in Finland,[130][131] and decided not to report box office figures for the movie until July 23. ", "Aurora heroes: Three who gave their lives", "Colorado shooting survivor tells how Crystal Lake boyfriend John Larimer shielded her before he died", "A look at the Lives of Colorado shooting victims", "People of the State of Colorado v. James Eagan Holmes", "Why Jessica Ghawi Wrote Under The Name Redfield: Moving Stories From The Shooting Victim's Colleagues", "Remembering aspiring sports journalist a year after Aurora shooting", "Jessica Ghawi: Victim of Colorado theatre shooting was also at Eaton Centre shooting", "Theater Shooting Victims Are 4 Months Old To Adults", "Hospital bills forgiven for Colorado shooting victims", "Woman who lost everything caps prosecution in Holmes trial", "Comedy helps pull Caleb Medley through tragedy of Aurora shootings", "Caleb Medley Recovery: Last Aurora Shooting Victim Leaves Colo. Hospital", "James Holmes guilty of murder in Colorado theater massacre; jury to weigh death penalty", "Shooting Victims Gain Veto Power in Donation Distribution", "Aurora movie theater shooting victims to respond to surveys", "Theater shooting: Payments from Aurora victim fund set, families of the dead get $220,000", James Holmes Mugshot: Aurora Shooting Suspect's Booking Picture Released" (PHOTO), Alex Brandon (AP), "Again appearing dazed in court, Holmes charged| Prosecutors and defense attorneys spar over whether a notebook that he reportedly sent to a psychiatrist is privileged information", "Colo. [141][142] The film's release date was rescheduled to January 2013, and the theater scene was replaced by a new sequence in a different setting. Colorado Sun staff & wire report 8:31 PM MDT on Oct 30, 2022. James Holmes, convicted on 24 counts of murder for shooting 12 people dead at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado, was considered a quiet young man before the attack. [86][88] Jurors examined the evidence for thirty minutes. The trial began on April 27, 2015. [24], Holmes fired 76 shots in the theater: six from the shotgun, 65 from the semi-automatic rifle, and five from the .40-caliber handgun. Cesar J. Ponce, 19 . Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. On October 30, 2012, the court hearing the criminal case against Holmes denied a motion by some of the survivors that would have let them access sealed evidence for review in their civil action against the theater chain. Stephen Redfearn, one of the first police officers to arrive on the scene, sent victims to area hospitals in squad cars. The assault occurred in Henderson, Nevada, after which Alex Ewing was arrested and remained incarcerated at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City, Nevada.