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.

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