Aurora shooting: Suspect James Holmes appears in court

The US man accused of killing 12 people in a

shooting at a Batman film screening in

Aurora, Colorado has appeared in court for

the first time.

James Holmes, 24, sat in court in a red jail suit with

dyed orange hair, and appeared dazed during the

proceedings.

Seven of 58 people wounded by the gunman remain

in critical condition.

On Sunday, President Barack Obama met survivors

and families of the dead as hundreds of people took

part in a service of remembrance.

Mr Holmes is to be held without bail at a jail in

Centennial, Colorado, the judge said.

The suspect is accused of throwing two canisters of

gas into a busy midnight showing of The Dark

Knight Rises early on Friday, before firing at random

into the crowd. Witnesses say he was wearing full

body armour during the attack.

Death penalty?

It is reported that the death toll could have been

even higher because a semi-automatic rifle jammed

during the attack and the gunman switched to a

weapon with less firepower.

Mr Holmes was being held in solitary confinement.

Police say he is not co-operating with them.

In San Diego, California, a lawyer for his family, Lisa

Damiani, said later on Monday that their hearts went

out to the victims.

When asked if Mr Holmes' parents stood by him, Ms

Damiani said: "Yes they do. He's their son."

The dead include a six-year-old girl and two US

military servicemen.

Mr Holmes appeared in court at 09:30 local time

(15:30 GMT) for the first stage in a process likely to

see him face at least 12 counts of first-degree

murder. He could face further charges of aggravated

assault and weapons violations.

Prosecutors are to formally file charges on 30 July.

One prosecutor has warned it could take at least a

year before Mr Holmes stands trial, the AP reported.

'Hearts are broken'

The office of prosecutor Carol Chambers is

considering whether to press for the death penalty

for Mr Holmes, a decision that will be made in

consultation with the victims' families, she said.

On Monday morning uniformed police were

stationed outside the court house, and deputies

were patrolling the roofs of court buildings.

Family members of the victims were in court, many

in the first row.

Tom Teves, whose son Alex was killed in the attack,

watched Mr Holmes throughout the hearing.

"I saw the coward in court today and Alex could

have wiped the floor with him without breaking a

sweat," Mr Teves said.

Other family members waited outside the

courtroom.

Asked what punishment Mr Holmes should face if

convicted, David Sanchez, whose heavily pregnant

21-year-old daughter escaped the shooting, said he

should be executed.

President Obama said that when he visited Aurora

on Sunday he had shared hugs and tears, but also

laughter as the families recounted the lives of their

loved ones.

He added that he had visited as much as a father

and husband as a president, and that Aurora was in

the nation's thoughts.

Mr Obama said: "I confessed to them words were

inadequate but my main task was to serve as a

representative of the entire country and say we are

thinking about them at this moment each and every

day."

Both Mr Obama and his Republican Party challenger,

Mitt Romney, curtailed their election campaigning in

the wake of the Aurora attack, dropping advertising

in Colorado state out of respect for victims and their

families.

Meanwhile, residents have been laying flowers at a

memorial site near the Century cinema and

thousands of people have been participating in

vigils outside City Hall.

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan told the crowd on

Sunday: "While our hearts are broken, our

community is not."

'Calculation'

On Saturday police managed to gain access to Mr

Holmes' flat, after making safe explosive booby

traps.

The FBI is now collecting evidence, and

investigators say a computer found inside his home

could provide crucial details.

Several US media outlets have reported that a

Batman mask and poster were in the flat, but the

authorities have not confirmed this.

Police said the suspect had acted with "calculation

and deliberation", adding that he had been

stockpiling ammunition for months.

Over the course of eight weeks he bought 6,300

rounds of ammunition: 3,000 for a .233 semi-

automatic AR-15 rifle, 3,000 for two .40 Glock 22

pistols and 300 cartridges for a pump-action

shotgun.

Mr Holmes bought the four weapons legally.

Authorities say the suspect is not linked to terror

groups and they have not established a motive for

the attack. Mr Holmes had no criminal record other

than a speeding fine.

He grew up in San Diego and had been pursuing a

PhD in neuroscience at the University of Colorado in

Denver. School officials have said that he recently

left the programme.